The Promise of A Best Friend
by RobertDowneyJrLove
Summary: They've been best friends since birth. Inseparable. Always there for each other, regardless of what life threw at them. They promised to be there for each other no matter what, but as life throws them one curve-ball after another, can they keep their promise to each other? Alternate Universe. Jackson/Melissa.
1. Newborns

_June 6th, 1991 _

Soft, warm sunlight spilled through the hospital window, slipping between the curtains - the color of which, the blonde woman in bed had deemed 'hospital pink'. In the bed, covered from the waist down by a thin, slightly papery sheet was a beautiful woman with golden corkscrew curls, playful baby blue eyes framed by golden lashes. A wide grin spoke of her immense joy and crinkled the corners of her playful yet tired eyes. In her arms she held a cute baby boy with red, slightly ruddy cheeks and a head full of golden brown curls, swaddled in a baby blue receiving blanket.

"Cody," Cindy LeAnne Jackson breathed, looking down into the bright baby blue eyes of her newborn son, who yawned dramatically showing his dark pink toothless gums making his mother giggle. "Cody Richard Jackson."

The dark eyes of her husband lit up and a smile pulled at his lips as he combed his fingers through her corkscrew curls and kissed the side of her head tenderly. A tender nod of agreement and the sound of her husband, Johnny's voice gave her all the assurance she needed to know that she had indeed made the right choice.

_"It's perfect, baby." _

She let her fingers slip through the soft, unruly blonde curls of her son's hair and smiled at the little bright-eyed bundle in her arms. She looked up at her husband and found him just as entranced with their newborn son. His warm brown eyes were intently focused on the bright-eyed newborn as he gently ran a finger down the side of his son's face.

"He just made the twelve hours of labor completely worth it." Cindy smiled up at her husband, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry, by the way."

"You gave me a son," Johnny whispered tenderly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Totally worth the obscenities you shouted at me; the likes of which, I'm sure no one has ever heard before."

"No probably not." Cindy conceded with a giggle and a sweet kiss planted on her husband's cheek.

The heavy door to the hospital opened and the soft pad of shoes against the tile made them both look over at the door. Cindy smiled as her eyes fell upon her pregnant best friend, Sandra Michaela Wu. Her soft black hair was pulled away from her face and she was dressed comfortably in a white spaghetti strapped maternity dress with a pair of sunshine yellow flip-flops. Behind her, dressed comfortably in jeans and a polo shirt, with a supporting hand on his wife's back was a grinning Evan Wu.

"Sandy!" Cindy gasped in delight, "Girl, I just went through twelve hours of back labor. You, my friend, are a gift from the Gods!"

"Hey!" Johnny faked offense, looking down at his wife; playfulness sparkling in his brown eyes.

"I love you, honey but I spent twelve hours looking at your face." Cindy smiled sweetly at her husband.

Evan chucked under his breath; only sobering when Johnny glared at him playfully and grinned wryly. "Give it time, Evan, you'll be in this position soon."

"Oh I know!" Evan grinned, "Believe me, I'm reminded everytime the baby kicks."

Sandy waddled over to her best friend's bed and smiled at the bright-eyed bundle happily snuggled in his mother's arms, "He's so cute, Cindy."

"A few more months and you'll have a little bundle of joy." Cindy smiled at her best friend, motioning to her protruding stomach. "Come October, you'll be in my position."

"I know." Sandy grinned, instinctively rubbing her stomach.

"Would you like to hold my little bundle of joy?" Cindy asked her sweetly.

"I'm afraid I can't, not with this tummy." Sandy giggled, rubbing her stomach. "I wouldn't be able to hold him properly."

Cindy giggled and looked up at her husband, who nodded and reached for his son. Sandy watched the two of them basically hold an entire conversation without ever saying anything. Ten years of being best friends had led to a happy marriage for Johnny and Cindy, who knew each other better than anyone.

"Ooh!" Sandy gasped as she felt her baby kick, "Mentioning bundle of joy, I'm positive I have a soccer player in here."

Cindy giggled, "Maybe."

Sandy laughed as she rubbed her stomach, "I think I better go, this little bundle of joy is getting impatient and is waiting for Mommy to feed her."

Evan groaned playfully all the while grinning affectionately at his wife, "Oh boy."

"Bye Cinde, Johnny! Congratulations." Sandy smiled as she stepped out of the room with her husband.

"Bye Sandy, bye Evan." Cindy laughed as she watched them leave.

xxx

_October 11th, 1991 _

The coolness of her hospital room was a welcome relief from the slick sweat that had coated her body during her ten hours of labor. Her dark curls were piled high atop her head with a few stray tendrils clinging to her neck. Swaddled in a pink receiving blanket and cradled comfortably against her mother's chest was a beautiful olive skinned baby with almond shaped dark eyes, black corkscrew curls that were silky smooth and softer than silk between her fingers.

"Melissa," Sandy smiled down at her daughter, caressing her head with a gentleness that only a mother could possess. "Melissa Brielle-Renae Wu."

"Sounds perfect." Evan agreed, wrapping one of his daughter's thick black curls around his finger, letting the silky hair slip from his finger and watching in fascination as the curl sprang back into place. "My goodness, she's gorgeous."

"She is." Sandy agreed tenderly.

"Just like her mother." Evan whispered into her hair as he pressed a kiss on the top of his wife's head.

"Well," Cindy smiled as she stepped into the hospital roomwith Johnny, who was carrying a now four-month old Cody in his carseat. "How are the new parents and their little girl doing?"

"Wonderful!" Sandy smiled up at her best friend, "It was just like you said."

"What did I say, exactly?" Cindy joked, giggling as she added. "I went through twelve hours of back labor, spent another forty-eight hours in a hospital bed and I've been at home with a newborn for four months. Do refresh my memory for me?"

"I screamed obscenities at my husband and sobbed incessantly for eighteen hours." Sandy sighed softly, looking down at her daughter affectionately. "But it was all worth it."

"I told you it would be." Cindy smiled, smoothing her best friend's unruly hair.

"You two were cut from the same mold, I'm telling you." Evan laughed at Cindy, "She screamed words, the likes of which, shocked even the doctors."

Sandy laughed as she threaded her hands in her daughter's silky black hair, "She has brown eyes."

"She's beautiful, Sandy!" Johnny told his wife's best friend. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Johnny." Sandy smiled up her best friend's husband before looking around the room. "Now, who wants to hold her first?"

"I think we should let Daddy hold her first." Cindy smiled.

Evan smiled gratefully as he took his daughter and cradled her against his chest. The newborn little girl yawned before settling contentedly against her father's chest and resuming her nap. All three laughed as Evan let himself become completely entranced by his little girl. Cindy smiled as she sat down on the bed beside her best friend's leg and affectionately squeezed Sandy's hand, careful of the IV that was taped in place.

"What do you think?" Cindy smiled as she looked over at her husband, seated in a chair with the carseat at his feet, his brown eyes watching his son sleep peacefully. "Will they be best friends?"

"I think they will." Sandy grinned slyly at her best friend.

"Dear God!" Evan exclaimed, looking at his wife and her best friend before turning to his own best friend. "You realize what this means right?"

"We're in for a world of trouble." Johnny grinned wryly at his best friend.

"Loads."

While Sandy and Cindy giggled like school-girls on the bed, Johnny and Evan hung their heads in a silent prayer for mercy from the powers that be. The world of trouble that would be their kids if they grew up best friends was nothing compared to how much amusement their mother's would be getting from the experience. Despite that, both sets of parents could only hope that their kids could rely on each other like their parents had come to rely on each other.

Regardless of the trouble they might get into along the way.

* * *

><p><strong>So this is chapter one, the edited version. The previous chapter one seemed to be missing something so I settled in with some good music and a cold drink to edit and give this thing the face-lift it needed. I like this version much better. Still the same premise but the chapters will be getting a face-lift. I'm hoping this won't slow down the updates but if it does you know why. I'll try not to let it but I make no promises. So Melissa's birthday and middle name are completely different. I realize that there are places later in the story where I'll have to change it. Give me time to get to those chapters. I can't edit everything at once. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls :)<strong>

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	2. TimeOut

_Five years later..._

A little boy - no more than five - with baby blue eyes set in ruddy cheeks was carefully lifted from the safety of his father's truck and set on the ground beside his father. A stern warning from his father about the dangers of splashing through the puddles in the middle of the street kept the small boy firmly planted at his father's feet, stomping what little bit of water had gathered on the dark, cold asphault beneath his feet. He listened as his father rustled through the backseat of the black truck, in obvious search of something. When it was found, a small blue back-pack was handed to the little boy and his father kneeled down to his level.

"I want you to behave while I take Mommy to the doctor, alright?" Johnny warned his son, holding him in place with a hand on his shoulder. "No playing in the rain. No splashing in the puddles. No getting wet, alright? I'll be back to get you later. No misbehaving, capice?"

"Capice." Cody nodded brightly, his unruly curls damp and bouncing on his head. "Daddy?"

"Yea, son?"

"Why does Mommy have to go to the doctor?" Cody tilted his head, looking at his father with all of the innocence of a five year old.

"For a check-up, buddy. Like you did the other day before Mommy registered you for school." Johnny explained patiently. "Now, let's get you in the house so I can take Mommy to the doctor, she's waiting on me in the truck."

An excited nod followed and Johnny stood up, motioning for his son to take his hand. Cody slipped his little hand into his father's and followed him up the wet walkway, up to the front door. His little hand pounded earnestly on the door but could not match the louder, stronger knock of his father. The door was pulled open and Sandy Wu sent them a warm smile from the other side. She motioned Cody in with her head and ruffled his hair as he ran past her.

"Thanks for watching him, Sandy. We shouldn't be gone more than an hour. It's just a routine check-up." Johnny laughed.

"It's no problem." Sandy laughed, "Bye Johnny."

"Bye Sandy."

"Lissa! Lissa!" Cody's five-year-old voice called, racing down the hall into his best friend's pink and purple bedroom. He held up his blue backpack, with a picture of Spider Man proudly displayed on the front. "Look!"

Dark brown eyes, twinkling with a childish michief and playfulness, eyed the backpack and in true five-year-old girl fashion, her nose wrinkled as she eyed the boy-ish backpack. "Spider Man?"

"He's a hero!" Cody defended, sticking his tongue out at her.

Melissa happily held up her light purple Disney princess backpack for her him to see, "I got Princesses."

"Ew!" Cody wrinkled his nose at the girly backpack. "That's girl's backpack!"

"That's 'cuz I'm a girl!" Melissa told him, sticking her tongue out at her best friend.

He shrugged as he tossed his backpack down next to his best friend's and sat down in a blue and orange chair. Without another word, Melissa handed him a coloring book and his box of crayons that stayed at her house. While he colored a car black, she grabbed a pink crayon and resumed coloring her princess' dress. The purple Princess backpack and blue Spiderman backpack lay forgotten about on Melissa's white carpet.

"Why is her hair green?" Cody asked Melissa, who was busy coloring Repunzel's hair green.

"'Cuz I wanted it green." Melissa defended, not caring if she scribbled outside the lines.

Shrugging, he resumed coloring his car, scribbling in the tires with an orange crayon. Neither child said anything for a while as they continued coloring and scribbling in their respective notebooks. They looked like quite a pair. The sandy blonde haired boy with the bright baby blues and the unruly head of damp curls sitting next to the small girl with the corkscrew curls and big brown eyes.

"I'm tired of coloring," Cody declared, tossing his orange crayon on the table. "I want to swing."

"We'll get wet!" Melissa told him, tossing her green crayon down next to his orange crayon.

"So?" Cody shrugged as he grabbed her hand and pulled toward the back doors, just out of sight of her mother. The rain poured outside and dripped down the glass patio doors. He pulled them open and pulled his best friend out into the pouring rain. "Let's play!"

"Water's cold!" Melissa yelled over the rain.

Sandy looked up from her book when she heard the swish of the glass patio doors being opened. She heard the splash of little feet running through rain water and immediately knew what the best friends had done. Tossing the book on the coffee table, she dashed to the backdoors and stared at the children running around the yard, soaked to the bone by the cold rain water.

"Cody Richard and Melissa Brielle!" Sandy yelled over the pouring rain, "March your little butts back into the house right now!"

They looked up, both wide-eyed and knowing they had been. Upon seeing Sandy standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, they looked at each other before linking arms and slowly making their way into the house.

"Bathroom, right now." Sandy told the two children, closing the doors behind them.

They trudged into the bathroom, both sad and miserably wet and cold, hanging their heads as they passed her. She followed them, grabbing two clean towels from the laundry basket outside the door as she walked in.

"You two!" Sandy scolded, as she wrapped them each in a clean towel. "Stay here, I'm going to go get you some dry clothes."

She left the two in the bathroom, wrapped snugly in towels and went to retrieve some clean, dry clothes. She came back with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for each. She made quick work of getting them into dry clean clothes and towelling the cold water out of their hair.

"Time-out, three minutes, both of you." Sandy scolded, sending the two children to their respective time-out spots in the kitchen. "Now."

She watched with a shake of her head as they trudged off to their respective time-out spots and sat down, each with pouts on their adorable little faces. She knew that they were just being kids but she also knew that her best friend would not appreciate it if Cody went home in wet clothes because she decided to let them get away with splashing in the cold rain-water.

"Why am I in time-out, Mommy?" Melissa yelled from her spot, "He started it!"

"You went outside in the cold rain too, Little Miss." Sandy reminded her as she sat down to read her book once again. "Be quiet or I'll add another minute to your time-out."

She listened in amusement as the two children grumbled about being in time-out. Johnny and Evan had been right, those two were a world of trouble when they were together.

xxxx

A whirlwind of blue eyes and blonde curls crashed into her legs as soon as Cindy Jackson walked through her best friend's door followed immediately by his five-year-old voice whining about his time spent in time-out. With a weary sigh, she kneeled down and combed his hair away from his face with her fingers, resting her other hand on his ribs to keep him in place. Her golden corkscrew curls and playful blue eyes matched his but her son was much more of a handful than the playfulness in his eyes made people aware of.

"Well, I'm sure it wasn't for nothing, Cody." Cindy reminded her son. "Care to share?"

"I ran out into the rain and I wasn't s'posed too." Cody admitted, his lower lip sticking out pitifully and his head hanging in shame at having to admit what he had done wrong.

Cindy sighed softly; "Well then, you probably deserved the time-out, didn't you?"

"Yes, Mommy." Cody nodded, his blue eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry."

"Tell, Aunt Sandy. Not me." Cindy pointed him to her best friend.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Sandy." Cody apologized softly, his blue eyes still teary.

"It's alright." Sandy ruffled his hair playfully. "Don't you cry now. You did your time. Nothing to cry about."

"C'mon, kiddo, Daddy's waiting. We're going to go get some lunch." Cindy stood up and reached to hug her best friend. "Thanks again, Sandy."

"No problem." Sandy smiled, pulling away when her daughter pulled at her arm. She reached over and ruffled Cody's hair. "Later kiddo."

"Bye Aunt Sandy." Cody smiled, looking over at Melissa. "Bye Lissa."

"Bye Cody."

* * *

><p><strong>Confession time: Five year old Melissa is a mix of my two niece's personalities. She's kind of like my oldest niece in that she hates being in time-out, as do most five-year olds, but she's like my youngest niece in that she's eccentric, colors things the wrong colors and doesn't really instigate trouble but more of follows along with whatever her sister does, Lol!<strong>

**So the first few chapters are going to explore Jackson and Melissa's childhood together through a series of incidents in which they wind up in trouble somehow :D **

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	3. Birthday

_Melissa's 8th Birthday Party _

Long strands of ebony, twisted into a tight spiral, floated along with the cool autumn breeze as the little girl held her arm out, letting the long strand of purple crepe paper fly out behind her. The strand of purple played with her black curls and the dark eyes of her mother watched as the purple intermingled with the ebony in a sharp contrast of color and pure darkness. The almond shaped brown eyes, set in a pair of olive-toned cheeks, dark eyelashes forming black crescents against her high-set cheekbones. Her light pink summer dress twirled around her legs and her white shoes were smeared with grass stains and mud. Melissa Brielle-Renae Wu was eight today and the 'Little Mermaid' cake sitting on the kitchen table with a piece of light pink wax shaped into a '8' with a wick was evidence of that. Hearing a knock on the front door, Sandy opened the glass patio door and called her little girl in.

"Melissa! Cody's here."

With a scream of delight, the twisted crepe paper was allowed to float to the grass as Melissa dashed into the house to greet her best friend. Sandy laughed as she chased after her daughter and found her waiting impatiently at the door. She knew she wasn't allowed to open it without her Mom around. Sandy reached around her daughter to open the door and smiled when her two best friends greeted her from the other side.

"Happy Birthday, Lissa!" Cody's toothy eight-year-old grin made them all laugh as he proudly held up a Little Mermaid gift bag with a picture of Ariel. "I got you somethin'!"

"Cool!" Melissa giggled, as she took the bag and set it on the table, where her other gifts were. "Wanna see my cake?"

Cody nodded enthusiastically and ran off with Melissa to look at her cake, while Sandy turned back to her best friend. The giggles of the two children could be heard followed closely by Evan's laugh as he warned the children not to touch it.

"She's been waiting for him all morning." Sandy told her best friend, "All she's talked about was how she couldn't wait for him to get here."

"He's done nothing but talk about her since I took him out of school early to get her birthday present." Cindy laughed, as she walked into the house, her husband close behind. "Johnny had to wear him out to get him to sleep last night."

Sandy laughed as she led them out into the backyard. Pink and purple Disney Princess decorations covered the backyard along with tables and chairs. They looked down as Cody and Melissa came blasting through, laughing and chasing each other.

"Lissa!" Cody laughed as they both tripped and fell down onto the green grass.

Johnny laughed as he weaved through the tables and helped both children up, brushing leaves from their clothes before ruffling their hair and sending them on their way. Sandy excused herself and went to let the other guests in.

xxx

"Melissa, come blow out your candles, sweetheart!"

Evan laughed as he tugged one of his daughter's jet black curls as she ran up to blow out the candles, Cody not far behind her. Melissa sighed happily as Johnny settled her in a chair so she could reach her cake. A little blonde girl with seafoam green eyes, followed closely by a blonde guy with the same bright baby blue eyes as Cody, came running up the table along with a little girl with darker blue eyes and frizzy red curls and brown-eyed boy with a dark afro. Cody was standing next to her chair, smiling a wide toothy grin for the camera that Cindy was holding up.

"Make a wish, honey." Johnny smiled as he helped Melissa pull her long curls back while Evan video-taped it, upon Sandy's request.

Melissa smiled as she made her wish and blew on the candles. Once the candle had been blown out and set aside so the cake could be eaten, Cindy cut the first piece before putting it on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a fork before handing it to Melissa.

"Here you go, Birthday Girl." Cindy smiled as Melissa took her cake and moved to sit down in the green grass to eat, waiting until Cody had his piece and was settled on the grass with her before eating.

"Eating cake is boring." Cody grinned as he scooped up a thick glob of icing and casually flicked it at Melissa.

"Cody!" Melissa shrieked as she broke off a piece of cake and tossed it at his head.

"Lissa!" Cody laughed.

Their pieces of the Princess Ariel birthday cake were completely destroyed and not one bite had been eaten by the time they were done. Their parents were watching in amusement while the other parents watched in horror as the two children threw birthday cake at each other.

"Sandra, how could you let them do that?" Patricia Hagan asked her, horrified at the idea of her children ever doing something so improper and God-forbid fun.

"Oh Patricia, they're kids!" Sandy waved her off with a shrug, "I'll let them have their fun and worry about the rest later. They're bound to have a few food fights. It's only a few pieces of birthday cake on a concrete patio, something that's easily cleaned up."

"I'll come out here later with the water hose and spray it right off," Evan shrugged it off, happily watching the two children play on the concrete patio.

"Come here, Taylor. We're leaving!" Patricia called to her blonde daughter, "Eric, come on, your mother would not be happy if I let you stay here."

"Happy Birthday, Melissa." Taylor sighed as she got up to follow her mother along with her friend, Eric.

"Happy Birthday, Melissa." Eric sighed as he followed Taylor's mother.

The Marin's soon followed along with McHugh's as Cody and Melissa continued playing in the mess of white and multi-colored frosting. Cindy shook her head as she walked over to the kids and kneeled down.

"Okay, guys, let's get cleaned up so Lissa can open her presents." Cindy laughed as she helped both of them up and led them into the house with Sandy following close behind. A wet wash cloth for each parent and two kids who couldn't stop laughing made more of a mess than the food fight had but they managed to get the frosting from their faces and the globs of it combed out of their hair with little fuss.

"Here," Sandy laughed as she kneeled down to wipe a missed spot of frosting from her daughter's leg. "Bathes will be necessary later."

"And yes, Cody, that includes you." Cindy laughed as she scrubbed some stubborn blue frosting from her son's cheek. "Now, next time you're given food, please eat it!"

"Yes!" Sandy agreed enthusiastically as she scrubbed some orange frosting from her daughter's ear. "Food is to be eaten, not played with although that moment is forever captured on video and was hilarious. Let's eat the food next time."

"Sandy, I'm afraid we're going to have to give them both a bath, now." Cindy grumbled as she tried to scrub green frosting from her son's clothes.

"Why don't we just change them into play clothes and give 'em a bath after they've worn themselves out? I don't know about you but I really don't want to fight them twice just to clean 'em up." Sandy laughed as she reached for the bag that Cindy had brought into the bathroom. "Plus, you carry spare clothes with you."

"Alright," Cindy agreed, "Let's just change 'em, I'll fight him later."

Sandy laughed as she pulled Cody's jeans and t-shirt out of the bag and reached the jeans and t-shirt that she always kept in the bathroom for Melissa.

"Here," Sandy smiled handing Melissa her clothes, "Change yourself, big girl!"

"C'mon big guy, you can change in Melissa's room." Cindy laughed, tugging her son out of the room and gently nudging him with her hand. "Go change."

While their children changed, they talked and laughed. Melissa emerged from the bathroom in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, holding a brush and a hair-tie. Cindy laughed as Melissa looked between her and her mother before finally deciding to let her do it.

"Aunt Cindy, will you do it?" Melissa held up the brush and hair-tie.

"Sure, babe." Cindy laughed as she took the brush and hair-tie before gently turning her around. "Cody, let's go! Girls go faster than this."

She brushed out Melissa's long black curls before pulling them back into a pony-tail. Cody emerged from Melissa's bedroom in a blue t-shirt and jeans. Before either mom could say anything, he had grabbed Melissa's hand and proceeded to drag her to the back-yard.

"They are nothing but trouble!" Cindy grumbled as she followed her son and his best friend.

"Trust me, I know." Sandy laughed in agreement as she followed her best friend.

Both mothers groaned inwardly when they saw their children run and slide in the wet mud. It was easier than trying to clean off the frosting stains, they supposed, but Cindy dreaded having to deal with her muddy son and dragging him home to have a nice hot, bubble bath would be something of a pain. When it came to bathes, Sandy had the easy one. By the time Melissa slinked into the house after school or after a day outside, she was too tired to protest her mother plopping her in a tub of warm, soapy water.

xxx

"Cody, wake up, buddy."

While Melissa was happily playing in the mess of wrapping paper, toys, books and clothes, Cody had crashed on the tile floor, his head lolling off of his arms, which he had folded beneath him. Johnny gently shook him to wake him up and make him easier to pick up. Once he was awake and vaguely aware of his surroundings, his heavy blue eyes found his best friend and a sleepy smile pulled at his lips. Johnny helped him stand up and turn toward Melissa.

"Wish her a happy birthday before we go, buddy." Johnny nudged him slightly, ruffling his unruly curls now stiff and caked with mud.

"Happy Birthday, Lissie!"

His sleepy mumble made everyone laugh. A chorus of aww's filled the room when Melissa walked over to him and held his arm as she kissed his cheek. Johnny laughed as he ruffled her hair before scooping up his half-asleep son and turning to his wife, who smiled as she stood up and walked over to Melissa.

"Happy Birthday, Mellie." Cindy smiled, pressing a kiss into the top of her head. "Bye Sweetheart."

"Bye Aunt Cindy. Bye Uncle Johnny." Melissa waved happily, her brown eyes heavy and drooping.

"Bye kiddo, Happy Birthday." Johnny smiled softly at her.

Sandy smiled as she walked them to the door and talked quietly with Cindy while Johnny carried Cody to the car. Cindy bid her goodnight and made her way to the car where her husband and sleeping son were waiting. Sandy closed the door and locked it before heading back into the living room to carry her daughter to bed. She found Evan scooping up Melissa to carry her to her Princess bed. She pressed a soft kiss into her daughter's hair and let her husband take her to her room.

"Those two," Sandy laughed as she balled up the first of many wads of Little Mermaid wrapping paper of the night. "Those two are a world of trouble."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey Guys! Chapter Three! I know I'm doing this at weird increments but I don't want to spend too much time on their childhood because I'm trying to get it to a point when I can really get into them growing up and dealing with life-kind of like I'm doing right now :)<strong>

**Let me know what you think :) **

**Love ya Dolls, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Yes, I call everyone doll. **


	4. The Cootie Phase

Black sneakers sunk into the powdery white sand, the rubbery tips just barely touching. Two boys, both with bright blue eyes and unruly blonde hair, stood face to face. The intense staring contest going ignored by everyone on the playground except for the group of rowdy boys - a mix of dirty blondes and dark brunettes, covered in sand, standing around them, laughing at them. The taller of the two boys shoved the other boy and sent him careening into the sand. He wanted to laugh at the shock that made itself clear on Eric McGorrill's face at being pushed down by the very kid he tried his hardest to bully. It must have come as shock to know that the most placid, well behaved eight year old in school could do that to someone.

"Stop bullying me. Just leave me and Mellie alone." Cody's sneaker clad foot shot out and jammed the rubber sole into Eric's knee without a second thought as to what he was doing. Eric hadn't had a chance to gather himself and stand up before Cody's kick to the knee had left him laying in the sand. "Leave us alone."

"Girls have cooties!"

"No they don't." Cody yelled back at him, making his way to the swing-set where Melissa was kicking her legs in order to go higher. "Want me to push?"

"I thought I had cooties?" Melissa let her sandal-clad feet skid in the sand, bringing the swing to a stop.

"Eric's a dummy." Cody told her resolutely.

"Well Taylor and Daley told me that boys have cooties." Melissa shrugged, jumping off of the swing. "So I'm going to play with them."

And with shock clear on his face, Cody Jackson watched his best friend walk toward the girls - one with a mane of wild red curls and the other with wild blonde locks - clearly believing that he had cooties.

xxx

"Bye Melissa," With a grumpy pout and a stomp of his sneaker clad foot, Cody Jackson stormed out of the school. His Superman backpack hung off of one shoulder, unruly blonde curls falling in his face and his shoes slapped against the wet concrete as he made his way into his Mom's car. He opened the silver door, tossed his backpack in and grumpily shoved himself intot he car and buckled his seatbelt. "Hi Mom."

"Someone's grumpy," Cindy laughed, ruffling her son's hair affectionately. "Bad day at school?"

"Eric told me that girls have cooties." Cody pouted, looking up at his mother. "And Daley and Taylor convinced Mellie that I have cooties."

Cindy pursed her lips together, unsure of what to say to resolve the situation. She could call the girls' mothers but that would only start unnecessary drama. She settled on taking her son to her husband and letting Johnny straighten him out; "I'm going to let you take that up with your father. I'm not the person to be talking about cooties with. I'm a girl."

All she could say was that her son - who at this stage in his life was more than a little conflicted about who should be his best friend - was simply going through a phase that in reality, Cindy was surprised hadn't come sooner. Cody loved Melissa but there was also that part of him that was still an eight-year-old boy who wanted to hang out with other boys instead of hanging out with Melissa all the time. While she was disappointed that Eric had planted ideas into Cody's head, she also knew that it might be good for Cody to learn that he could have a girl for a best friend and still hang out with other boys. Needless to say she was relieved to see her husband's green Dodge sitting in the driveway.

"C'mon, little man," Cindy sighed, grabbing her son's backpack as he raced out of the car. "Let's talk to Dad."

Her son was practically bursting at the seams to be let in the front door and by the time he was in, his energy had reached it's boiling point. In an explosive burst of blonde hair and blue eyes, her son torpedoed through the house with all the force of a category five hurricane, calling for his father. Her eight-year-old son was definitely a boy, in every sense of the word. It had been a lesson she had learned early on; little boys were handfuls.

"Jackson!" Johnny laughed, bunching a fistful of his son's t-shirt in his palm and yanking him back. He kneeled down and turned his son around, offering a stern warning; "Slow down, son, you're going to get hurt."

"Dad," Cody's naive blue eyes stared up into his father's twinkling brown eyes. "Do girls have cooties?"

"Ah," Johnny laughed, understanding why his son had been so eager to see him. "Alright, son, who told you girls have cooties?"

"Eric."

"Eric, huh?" Johnny sighed, wanting desperately to call Eric's mom and explain the false wisdom her son had so kindly imparted on Cody but he thought better of it and reached up to ruffle his son's hair. "Son, Eric's wrong. Girls don't have cooties."

"They don't?"

"Well your Mom's a girl and she doesn't have cooties. In fact I think she's pretty cool." Johnny grinned at his son, "Eric probably just said that to avoid playing with girls."

"Mom is pretty cool." Cody shrugged his small polo-shirt clad shoulders.

"Yeah," Johnny nodded with a laugh, "And so is Melissa, eh?"

"Yeah. I guess she is." Cody laughed, "Cool! Thanks Dad."

With the reassurance that his best friend did not in fact have cooties or anything similar, Cody retrieved his red and blue backpack and dashed off to his room to his homework. Johnny had no doubt that there would be many more instances where Cody would question whether or not it was okay to be best friends with Melissa. He'd just have to make it clear that Eric's wisdom shouldn't be taken seriously.

"Eric is trouble," Johnny stood up at the sound of his wife's voice. "That kid is going to be the end of a few friendships."

"Nah," Johnny laughed, slipping his arms around his wife. "He's just a kid."

"If you say so," Cindy wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. "Kiss? Thank you. Now I have to cook dinner so my boys don't starve."

"Dinner can wait. I'll order a pizza." Johnny shrugged, barely pulling away from his wife.

"Fine." Cindy giggled as her husband trailed kisses down her neck.

xxx

"Mommy," Eight-year-old Melissa jumped into the back seat of her mother's car. "I had a bad day."

"Why did you have a bad day, Sweetheart?" Sandy asked her daughter, "Did something happen today?"

"Taylor and Daley told me that boys have cooties." Melissa told her mother.

Sandy laughed as she pulled away from the school, "How about we go to Chick-Fil-A and discuss this over chicken nuggets, french fries and lemonade?"

"Okay." Melissa agreed.

The ride to Chick-Fil-A went in relative silence as Melissa happily read the book her mother kept in the backseat for her. Sandy pulled into Chick-Fil-A and got out before moving around to help her daughter out. Melissa walked beside her mother as they walked up to the counter to order. Once they had the cups and the receipt with their order number, they went to make their drinks and wait for the order.

"What did you learn in school today, Baby Doll?" Sandy asked her daughter.

"We learned how to subtract and how a little bitty seed can grow into a huge plant." Melissa told her mother.

Sandy laughed as she handed her daughter her lemonade and moved to the counter to grab their tray as the cashier called, "24!"

Once they were settled at the table, food in front of them with Melissa happily munching on a chicken nugget, Sandy decided to broach the subject her daughter had brought up in the car.

"Baby, why do you think boys have cooties?" Sandy asked, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"I was playing with Cody and Taylor pulled me away and told me not to play with him, he had cooties." Melissa told her, munching on a fry.

"Boys do not have cooties, your father is a boy and he doesn't have cooties." Sandy chuckled, "I'll bet Cody's Mom and Dad told him that you don't have cooties either."

Melissa nodded, seemingly content with her mother's answer. Once they were finished with lunch and Melissa was safely buckled up in the car, Sandy started the drive home. Melissa hummed to herself as her mother drove home.

"Would you like to go see, Cody?" Sandy asked her daughter.

"Can we?" Melissa asked her excitedly.

"I think you two have something to work out." Sandy laughed as she turned down the street that her best friend lived on.

They pulled into the driveway a few minutes later and Melissa nearly broke her neck trying to get to the door. Sandy giggled as she rang the doorbell and grabbed her daughter to keep her from falling when the door opened and Cindy appeared in the doorway. Looking down at a very excited Melissa, she moved aside and watched Melissa barrel into the house, frantically calling her best friend's name.

"Good grief, that phase didn't last long." Cindy giggled as she let her best friend into the house.

"Did his?" Sandy asked her.

"It lasted all of ten minutes." Cindy giggled as they walked into the living room.

Cody and Melissa were sitting on the carpeted floor holding a rather animated conversation over the sound of whatever TV show was playing. Their excited and animated chatter seemed to revolve around one thing, the fact that neither one of them had the mythical yet so very dreaded illness otherwise known as the cooties.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this chapter was a little weird in that they didn't stay away from each other the way most kids tend to do but let me explain: I had a hard time writing this chapter because I don't remember ever going through "the cootie phase". I wanted them to be told that the other had cooties but not necessarily stop hanging out with each other because of it. I also wanted to include some JohnnyCody interaction because I think the relationship between a father and his son is amazing! I'm a Daddy's girl through and through but I still like the way a man interacts with his son.**

**Anyway, my computer is now virus free so you can expect a two maybe three more updates before July 4th :) **

**Goodbye Loves, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	5. Puberty

_May 14th, 2005_

His hair was a mess of blonde curls sticking out in different directions, his dark blue eyes were red-rimmed and drooping and his black t-shirt and gray sweatpants were wrinkled and smelled of sweat. He collapsed at the kitchen table, resting his head on the cool glossy Cherry wood. He grumbled under his breath when his Mom ruffled his hair and set a plate of pancakes, bacon and eggs in front of him along with a cup of his new favorite beverage- coffee.

"Thanks Mom." His blue eyes went wide at the sudden crack in his voice. He cleared his throat, "Thanks Mom."

"No problem, Cody." Cindy giggled as she ruffled his hair again and disappeared into the kitchen.

Cody Jackson had officially entered puberty. At thirteen years old, he towered over his mother, standing at five-foot-six to her petite four foot-eleven- frame and nearly matched his father's six foot frame. His best friend was still a petite four- foot- ten and because of that, people always thought that she was much younger than thirteen. It seemed as if he had grown seemingly over-night and the slow change in her son's appearance was becoming more apparent. His blonde hair was darker than the light, sandy blonde it had been when he was younger. Streaks of chocolate brown and darker blonde had changed his hair color and his bright baby blue eyes were darker and perfectly accented by his darker hair.

"Your voice is changing," Johnny noted, shoving a bite of egg into his mouth. "Son, I think it's time you said hello to your friend, puberty."

"Yea," Cody grumbled as he shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth and chewed it slowly before saying, "I think I already have."

Johnny laughed as he cut his pancakes and shoveled a forkful of the fluffy, syrup soaked pancakes into his mouth. Cindy giggled as she sat down to join them with her own plate watching as the two men ate breakfast as if it was the last meal they would ever get.

"Contrary to popular belief, you will be fed again." Cindy giggled at the two men, "And Cody, don't eat with your mouthful, it's rude."

Cody grumbled as he shoved his plate away and stormed to his room to get dressed. Cindy shook her head and Johnny just laughed at the hormonal teenager, who like most teenagers, was discovering the meaning of the word attitude and making it a part of his regular vocabulary.

"I'm going to Melissa's." Cody grumbled, keeping his voice low as he shrugged into his leather jacket and headed out of the front door.

Luckily for him, his best friend lived two houses away so it was easy to escape to her house if the teasing about his recent changes became a little too much. He knocked on the heavy oak door and waited for her to answer. When she appeared with tousled and caramel streaked black hair, ratty pajamas and glittering brown eyes, she just smiled and let him in unaware that she had just knocked him breathless just by answering the door as she had.

"Hey Bella." Cody greeted, leaning down to kiss the top of her head before moving into the house, blaming his sudden breathlessness on puberty.

"Hey Jack." Melissa greeted letting him in the house.

Along with his physical and hormonal changes had come his sudden desire to be called by his last name which his best friend did, along with a few variations of it such as Jack. Her nickname Bella had come from Cody being part Italian and 'Bella' being Italian for beautiful.

"I hate puberty." Cody exclaimed collapsing on the dark brown leather couch in his best friend's living room.

"Me too." Melissa pouted as she collapsed next to him. "My Mom is making me wear-"

"Bella." Cody interrupted, grinning teasingly. "We may be best friends since birth but there are some things, I'd rather not know."

"I was going to say, my Mom is making me wear more dresses." Melissa giggled, "She says I need to be more of a girl. I hate puberty. And growing up."

"Aww come on, Bella, maybe it won't be so bad." Cody shrugged, looking over his petite best friend, curled into one end of the couch. "We have each other and if it helps, I still see you as one of the guys."

"Gee! Thanks, Jack." Melissa pouted playfully but her glittering eyes danced with laughter.

Cody laughed as he reached over and poked his best friend in the side. She exploded into hysterical laughter as he attacked her and tickled her ribcage.

xxx

"Taylor says I need to kiss a guy." Melissa collapsed beside her best friend on the floor of Taylor's father's study. Taylor's fourteenth birthday party was in full swing downstairs but neither one of them had been interested in the pink and gold glitter filled extravagantly decorated party.

"Bella-"

"I hate her."

"No you don't." Cody shook his head, "You just don't like that she wants to make you into her clone."

Melissa groaned, "Don't remind me."

He looked over at her and took in the sight of her in a pink dress with gold flats and a thick gold bracelet wrapped around her wrist. She was a naturally beautiful thirteen year old and was starting to fill out nicely- not that he, you know, noticed because that would just be perverted and he didn't want to be a pervert. Her feet, flung out in front of her, crossed at the ankles and neat curls now pulled back into what could only be described as the oddest updo he had ever seen.

"Nathan and Eric are total dorks." Cody laughed, looking over at his best friend.

"I know, did you see the way they followed Daley and Taylor around?" Melissa giggled, "Nathan looked very much like a lost puppy and Eric was just horrible."

"Eric's a jerk."

"Sort of," Melissa shrugged, giggling slightly. "Nathan's too much of a goofball to ever be part of Taylor's posse."

"Yea but Daley likes him..." Cody shrugged, listening as the music changed downstairs and the silence that immediately followed when everyone realized that the song was a love song. "Puberty. God, I hate it!"

"Don't we all?" Melissa retorted sarcastically.

Cody laughed and took a moment to think about his best friend. He had been best friends with Melissa since they were babies and now that they were teenagers and growing up was becoming a part of life, he was starting to realize that he'd always have her in his life.

"Is it just me or did this party suddenly become one big make-out session?" Melissa asked him, listening to the party downstairs.

"I don't think they've gotten to the making out yet." Cody laughed, eying the window. "Want to sneak out? We live three houses down."

Melissa laughed as she looked between him and the window before kicking off her flats and standing up, leaving an impression on the thick pile carpeting. Cody grinned as he stood up and followed her to the window. Opening the window, they carefully swung out of the window and onto the roof before closing the window behind them. It was an eerie and tense climb down the trellis as they made sure that they could get away without being seen.

"C'mon." Cody whispered, tugging on her arm. "We have to go before they see us."

"I'm coming." Melissa whispered harshly, stuffing her feet back into her shoes. She shivered as the cool wind, "It's freakin' cold out here."

Cody shrugged out of his blazer and draped it on her shoulders. She shoved her arms into the sleeves, wrapping the black fabric around her body and crossing her arms over her chest. The blazer was too big and covered most of her pink dress. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked home.

"I think that was the best part of the entire party." Melissa grinned up at her best friend.

"Me too, Bella."

He walked her up to her door and rang the doorbell, waiting until her parents opened the door and his best friend was safely inside the house before leaving. As he started home, forgetting all about the fact that his best friend still had his jacket, the only thought that crossed his mind was how pretty she looked in that dress.

Maybe puberty wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Lenny Kravitz' 'American Woman' was my most played song while writing this chapter for some reason. It set the rhythm for the chapter but that isn't what this chapter is based on so don't feel as if you have to listen to it. Anyway, enjoy my loves :) <strong>

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	6. Loss

_August of '06_

"Okay," Cindy smiled at her son as he clasped her diamond necklace around her neck. "We're going to the local amphitheater before grabbing a late dinner, will you be okay here?"

Cody nodded, reaching down to pull two twenties from his pocket. "Dad gave me pizza money and I found my copy of Napoleon Dynamite so I'll probably invite Bella over."

Cindy smiled at his affectionate nickname for Melissa. Her fifteen year old son had made it very clear that it was her birthday and Johnny wanted to take her out to see a play and then go to dinner and she was going to go out and enjoy it.

"Okay Mom," Cody smiled, tugging at one of his mother's blonde curls. "Now if you don't go, you're going to miss the play and I'm going to be responsible. I'd rather not be."

Cindy smiled as she turned and kissed his forehead, before grabbing her purse and leaving to meet her husband at the door. As his mother walked out and he turned to call his best friend over for the night, he had no idea that in just a few hours his life would change- and not for the better.

"Hey Bella," Cody smiled into the phone, "I've got forty bucks and a DVD copy of Napoleon Dynamite, how do you feel about a 'Vote for Pedro' replay and an insane amount of pizza and soda?"

"I say that I'll be there in five minutes. Should I bring pajamas?" Melissa asked him.

"Yea, hey do you still have my Ozzy t-shirt?" Cody asked her.

Melissa blushed even though he couldn't see her and looked down at the black Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt she was wearing with her jeans. "Maybe?"

"Wearing it, are you?" Cody laughed into the phone. "Well then I'll see you and my favorite shirt in five minutes."

"Yea, bye dude." Melissa grumbled good-naturedly.

"Later dude." Cody grinned at his own comeback.

"Shove it, butt-head." Melissa growled into the phone.

"I love you too, Bella." Cody chuckled, "Bye Mel."

"Yea, yea, bye."

xxx

Twenty minutes, a large pepperoni pizza and ten minutes into Napoleon Dynamite later, Cody and Melissa were comfortably settled on the couch, shoveling bites of pizza in their mouth in between laughs at Napoleon Dynamite. If someone who didn't really know them, one would think that they were a couple of teenagers who were enjoying pizza and a movie as a couple by the way Melissa was curled into his side and his arm was slung around her casually, his hand coming to rest on her hip.

"That's the phone," Cody mumbled into her hair upon hearing the sharp ring of the telephone. "I'll be right back."

She sat up and turned her attention away from the movie. Whoever he was talking too, he obviously wasn't pleased to be hearing from them. When tears fell from his eyes and the phone dropped to the carpeted floor, she knew something was wrong.

"What happened?" Melissa asked her best friend.

"My parents were killed by a drunk driver on their way to the theater." Cody mumbled almost numbly.

"What? Jack, what are you talking about?" Melissa asked him in shock.

"They were on their way to the theater when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and they couldn't stop in time. They died on impact." Cody explained, dropping to his knees on the carpet. "My parents are dead, Bella."

She made her way over to him and dropped down on the carpet beside him. Almost immediately he turned toward her and let her wrap her arms around him, as he buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed for the parents that he had lost.

She had known Cody Jackson her whole life and not once had she ever seen him cry.

Until now.

xxx

Cody Jackson would not cry.

In the past week or so, that had become his mantra but as he waited for his best friend to straighten his tie and the collar of his shirt, the tears were hard to fight. He looked down at the petite Asian who was fighting her own tears as she messed with his tie. Dressed appropriately in a dark blue dress and black heels, Melissa Wu looked as if she might sob at any moment. His parents had always been like her adoptive parents and losing them hit her just as hard as it hit him.

When she was finished, they walked out of his bedroom and into the living room, arms wrapped around each other. The ride to the church was spent in relative silence. Cody and Melissa barely let go of each other the whole way, only letting go of each other's hand when it came time to get out of the car. As they walked into the church, clinging to each other, nobody asked questions or even bothered to try and separate them.

The funerals were peaceful and serene but nobody could help the immense sadness they felt or miss the immense pain that Cody Richard Jackson was in. He stayed with Melissa the whole time, occasionally turning to bury his face in her neck when he couldn't handle certain parts and squeezing her hand when nothing else seemed to comfort either one of them. The burial was long and painful as they were all witness to a very sad fifteen year old boy break over the death of his parents.

* * *

><p><strong>So I know this chapter was pretty short but I started the next chapter before I started this one so I needed this chapter to be short, sweet and majorly to the point :) Anyway, listened to 'Save Me, San Francisco' by Train while finishing this chapter but it's not really a song you have to listen too..just know that the next chapter will be better :) <strong>

**Goodbye Loves, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	7. Foster Care

_August of '06 _

_"...Will you be okay here?" _

He shook his head as he packed whatever he could into the small duffel bag he was allowed to bring with him. His parents were supposed to be alive, downstairs bantering and bickering as they cooked breakfast and he was supposed to be the typical fifteen year old boy, sleeping way too late because he didn't go to bed until the early hours of the morning. He wasn't supposed to be stuffing whatever he could into a black canvas duffel bag because he was being shipped to foster care. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. His parents weren't supposed to be killed by that drunk driver that was going to fast on a wet road with no headlights or seatbelt. His parents were supposed to be at home with him.

"Are you ready, Cody?" A strict woman with neat brown hair pulled into a low bun and a card that read, Joanna Volaris, asked him coldly.

He nodded, picked up his bag and left with the woman. She kept her eyes on the file in her hand as they walked out to the car. He could tell right now, he hated her. He hated that she was prim, proper and cold instead of warm and caring.

"There are few rules to foster care," Joanna's cold tone cut through the silence of the sleek silver sports car. "First of all, you do not get pick and choose your family, you go with them without question and second of all, no misbehaving."

"No chance of that." Cody mumbled under his breath.

Nothing else was said as they drove through L.A. to the foster care facility. He felt the tears sting his eyes as he looked up at the intimidating building before him. She led him in, handed his case file to the woman who was obvious waiting for them. She was a relatively young blonde with brown eyes and looked way too young to be as hard and as cold as she seemed.

"My name is Belinda. Most just call me Linda." Her voice was warm and reminded him of his mother. "Let me show you to your room."

He nodded wearily and let her lead him to his room.

"So I saw in your file that your name is Cody. Can I call you that or do you have another name you prefer?" Belinda asked him as she led him down a long corridor.

"Uh my best friend..she calls me Jack. I'd prefer that." Cody told her softly.

"Okay then, Jack it is." Belinda smiled as she opened the door to his room before turning to him. "I'm going to give you a bit of advice for surviving here. When you want something, find me. I'm always in my office which is the third door down the hall to your left. I'm the only nice one in this building. All of the other ones are too cold to really care."

"Gotcha." Cody nodded as he walked into his room. "Anything else."

"Yea, anytime you are sent to a foster family, walk on eggshells around them. This foster care facility isn't known for picking the best families mostly because they never run background checks on the families who apply. Most couples who apply have a history of domestic violence." Belinda warned him, "Just know that leaving that family is okay. I'm technically not supposed to be telling you all of this but you don't seem like a bad kid so I will anyway. Establish a safe place and when you leave the foster family you were sent too and call me. I'll come pick you up or you can stay there a couple of days."

"My best friend lives two houses down from my old house," Cody told her, "Why aren't you supposed to be telling me this? How do you know this?"

"Because I was a foster kid. I lived here from the time I was fourteen until I was old enough to leave for college. After you turn eighteen you aren't a ward of the state anymore so make sure you've secured a place to go the day you turn eighteen." Belinda told him, "Now, tell me how did you end up in foster care anyway?"

"I'm not ready to tell anyone yet." Cody shook his head softly.

"Okay, I'll be here when you're ready." Belinda nodded as she started for the door, "I'll leave you to settle in."

He only nodded and scrubbed his face with his hands before turning to unpack. The tears had taken up permanent residence in his eyes and no matter how hard he tried to blink them away, they stayed. The flashbacks hit full-force and not once did he do anything that would stop them.

xxx

Belinda James had seen a lot of sad kids but Cody Jackson had to be the saddest teen she had ever laid her eyes on. His dark blue eyes seemed sadder than they shoulder have been. The dark circles and red-rimmed lids spoke of the tremendous amount of grief he suffered on a daily basis. He walked with a defeated slump to his strong shoulders. The fifteen year old seemed to have aged over-night and now it seemed as if he walked with the weight of the world on his shoulders, even though it seemed as if his world had crumbled down around him. Her husband had told her that he had dealt with a lot of loss in his life and it would take a while for him to come around. Her husband, Patrick had told her to give him time and he would come to her when he was ready.

_"Belle," Patrick soothed his wife, rubbing her back. "You've got to give him time, you can't expect him to come to you right away." _

_"I know." Belinda nodded, looking up at her husband. "Thanks Pat." _

She didn't know if she could wait for him to come to her. He had made one phone call and from the sound of it, the person had tried to cheer him up with no success. She had wondered vaguely if the person he had called 'Bella' was the same person in the picture he carried around with him like a lifeline. The picture of the petite Asian with the braided black hair and dark brown eyes was one that he stared at constantly.

_"Who's Bella?" _

He hadn't answered but his eyes had flickered with a pain she hadn't seen in any of the other teenagers that came into the California foster care system. It almost seemed like the girl was the person who kept him alive. As if he didn't have her, he would have already ended his life. Although the way he was acting, it was almost as if he was already dead inside.

And nobody had bothered to try and save him.

* * *

><p><strong>So, Joanna is his social worker but she won't be in the story much because I needed someone who would contrast Belinda and that was about all Joanna was good for. Anyway, this is the introduction of Patrick and Belinda James into his life and believe me, they will play a major role in his life. Belinda may eventually become his foster mother-I'm not sure if I'm going to take it in that direction of if I'm going to have her be the mother-figure he needs in his life and have Patrick be the father-figure. <strong>

**Goodnight Loves, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	8. Without His Bella

_June 6th, 2007_

He hated his birthday. Every birthday up to his fifteenth had been amazing because he had his parents and his best friend but his sixteenth birthday was looking rather suckish. He knew that Melissa couldn't make it by until later and he also knew that he wouldn't attempting to eat their food. Their so-called food was not even close what he would even think about calling food and he also knew that if he were to attempt to eat it, he'd probably need to puke his guts up later.

"Jack," Belinda called walking in with a large manila envelope in her hand. "This came in the mail for you."

He took the envelope from her and nodded in thanks as he opened it up and pulled out a thick stack of sketch paper. On top of the stack was a white envelope with his name on it. Belinda watched as his eyes almost immediately filled with tears and he ripped the envelope open in a hurry. As he read the letter carefully, he could almost hear her voice reading it to him, playing like a broken record in his head.

_"Dear Jackson, I'm sorry I can't be there to celebrate your sixteenth birthday with you. I'm sorry I can't be there with you period but unfortunately, thanks to my mother (who has changed and not for the better), I'm stuck at home doing pointless chores. I really wish I could be there with you! Anyway, I thought you might like the present I made you. It took me two weeks and a lot of sketch paper along with pictures but it was worth it because if I know you, you're probably missing me like crazy! Believe me when I say that I miss you like crazy too! It's like one day we were best friends and the next I don't see you anymore! I hate it! Anyway, enjoy the present and I'll try to come by or call soon. I love you! Love, your Bella." _

He hurriedly wiped his eyes, trying to rid them of the tears that threatened to fall at any moment as he sat the letter down and started going through the stack of sketch paper. On each page was a drawing of a particular memory that had been captured on camera. The first was a picture of them as newborns. A line was drawn down the center of the page dividing it into two parts. On one side was a picture of a sleeping baby boy in a crib with the name 'Jackson' scrawled across the top railing of the crib. On the other side was a picture of a beautifully drawn baby girl with thick curly hair sleeping peacefully in her crib with the name 'Melissa' scrawled across the top railing.

The next page depicted them at a year old, covered in frosting and munching on cupcakes. It looked as if she had taken a picture and drew it out as it was on the picture down to the color of the flowers on her shirt. He remembered the picture as one his Mom had kept on the mantle. He knew his best friend could draw anything she wanted to but this was absolutely mind-blowing. The attention to detail was stunning and only something Melissa could do.

The book of pictures drawn by Melissa was sixteen pages of memories drawn out on paper from the time they were newborns up until they were separated. Every picture was a different memory and the pictures were obviously very detailed and specific. He laughed at the picture of them at five, laughing and twirling in the rain and again of them at seven, smashing pieces of a Little Mermaid Birthday cake in each other's face. He found a picture of them at eight, walking into school holding hands, him with a Spiderman backpack and her with a Cinderella backpack. He grinned at the picture of them at the age of ten, sleeping next to each other on her bedroom floor, holding hands. He laughed again when he found a picture of them at twelve, arms wrapped around each other, a soccer ball at their feet and mud coating their clothes.

The pictures depicted the years of memories he had with his best friend and he had to wonder when she found the time to do all of it. The very last page was a picture of them at fifteen on his living room floor, holding each other as they sobbed into each other's shoulder, each mourning the loss of his parents. The image brought tears to his eyes as the very vivid memory returned and his best friend's drawing seemed to accurately capture the sadness they had both felt upon learning about the death of his parents.

Each picture took him through a range of different emotions from happiness to sadness to something in between that he couldn't quite place. On the back of the page scrawled in her beautiful flowing cursive was a beautiful Haiku dedicated to his parents and another one dedicated to him. He didn't know what to think about the book of pictures that she had obviously put a lot of thought and effort into. He knew his best friend was thoughtful but this was above and beyond the call of duty as a best friend. Not only had she brought back memories that he thought he'd forgotten but she had made his day seem a little bit better.

She was amazing.

There were simply no other words to describe her.

That night as he lay in bed going through the pictures and reliving the memories and the emotions all over again, he couldn't help but wonder what his best friend was doing at the very moment. Unbeknownst to him, his best friend lay in her bed in her house across town going through the same memories in a similar book she had made for herself. The memories of a friendship that they couldn't help but hope would last a lifetime. Memories of a friendship that remained the only stable thing in their lives, the only thing they had left to cling too. Tonight as they put away the book filled with memories and settle in bed, they'll each say one thing before they fall asleep, clinging to the hope that maybe, somehow they got each other's message.

_"Happy Birthday, Jack." _

_"Thanks, Bella." _

* * *

><p><strong>Good? Bad? How was it? This wasn't quite what I had in mine but I was listening to Eli Young Band's 'Guinevere' and I heard the line "...she carries memories around.." and I thought what if Melissa sent Jackson a birthday present to remind him of all the memories they had, even if they weren't together for his sixteenth birthday. The paragraph in italics is the letter she wrote, only I wrote it as if it was Melissa reading it to him. <strong>

**Let me know, Loves **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	9. Runaway

_August of '07 _

His whole body convulsed with each heart-wrenching sob, his knees were pulled up to his chest and the way he was curled up might have given someone the impression that he was scared of something. His shoulders shudder with every shaky, teary breath because shaky breaths are all he can manage right now. His dirty blonde hair was an oily mess and his dark blue eyes flickered with a lingering sadness, in between the floods of hot salty tears that stream down his face and have the collar of his shirt soaked.

Running away from the foster home hadn't been his plan then again, having an emotional meltdown on his best friend's bed wasn't in his plan either but he had climbed in the window and spotted her and everything he had been holding back broke free and he found himself being led to the bed and told to lay down. He hadn't planned on any of it but he couldn't help it. It had been a year ago today. A year since he had lost his parents.

"I don't want to go back, Melissa."

She knew it was bad if he used her real name instead of Bella. His voice was shaky and broken, bitterness coating every heart-broken word that spilled out of his mouth. He was completely shattered. The year since his parents had died hadn't been easy on him and it was no surprise that everything caught up with him on the anniversary of their death.

"What happened, Jack?" Melissa whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed and combing her fingers through his messy hair. "Tell me?"

"They hate me." Jackson mumbled to her.

"Who hates you?" Melissa asked him softly, moving down to rub his shoulders.

"Everyone in that stupid place!" Jackson told her sadly, "Nobody cares about the stupid foster kid."

"You aren't just some stupid foster kid. First of all, you're sixteen, I wouldn't exactly call that being a child. Second of all since when are you stupid?" Melissa asked him firmly but gently. She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "You aren't stupid Cody Richard Jackson. You are a sixteen year old boy who hasn't learned to cope with the death of his parents. Life's dealt you some harsh blows but you can't think you are just some stupid foster kid because of them. You aren't a stupid foster kid, Jackson and I don't like that you think that you are."

He settled into her bed with a soft whine as she rubbed his shoulders. He looked and acted like a scared little boy who struggled under the immense weight that rested on his shoulders and in some ways that's what he was. He was a little boy again, who wanted nothing more than to cling to his mother and let her lull him to sleep with her soothing voice and whispered lullabies as his mind drifted in and out of consciousness. He wanted his father to chase the monsters from underneath his bed and take him to baseball games when he did good in school.

"I just want to go home, Bella." Jackson admitted, his voice muffled by the purple pillowcase. "But I don't have a home anymore."

"I know, honey." Melissa sighed softly.

He was so vulnerable. She knew that it had been a while since she had seen him but this, this wasn't the best friend she had spent the better part of the last sixteen years with. This was a mere shell of who he used to be. He was vulnerable and bitter, clinging to whatever emotion he could find it in himself to feel. He looked as if he had completely drawn himself away from the world and away from everyone in it. His bright blue eyes had darkened and dimmed considerably.

"Jackson," Melissa whispered, watching as his eyes closed and he relaxed against the mattress.

She didn't know why he had run away from the foster home. Something in him had snapped and he had run to the only place he knew besides his own house. Her house. Something had happened and whatever it was had broken him. She had never seen her best friend this close to the edge before.

And to be honest, it terrified her.

xxx

It was nearly seven at night before she finally manages to wake him up. She tells him in a soft, murmur that he has to get up and eat before he goes back. He's tired and looks more run-down than any sixteen year old should have. His eyes were swollen, his shirt was dry but stiff with salt and his shoulders slumped forward in defeat. She took his hand and led him downstairs to the table. It takes all of his strength to sit down and even more so to eat the spaghetti and garlic bread. She doesn't eat but instead scoots her chair closer to his and wraps an arm around him before resting her head on her shoulder.

"Cody," Evan called across the table, "Why don't I find you some sweatpants, you can take a shower and stay here tonight? You can get a good night's rest and then eat breakfast before I take you back in the morning? Your social worker, Belinda called, she said that as long as you return in the morning, you should be okay."

"Stay here." Melissa encouraged him, "You can sleep in my room, get some rest before you have to leave in the morning. You can take a shower, relax and sleep off the day."

"That'd be great." Jackson mumbles to Melissa, "Thanks."

"He'll stay." Melissa told her father, rubbing her best friend's back.

"You know, I think I have some sweatpants that'll fit you." Evan told him, excusing himself from the dinner table.

"Jackson?" Melissa questioned, when he suddenly stopped eating. "What's the matter, honey?"

"I hate this!"

"Hate what, baby?" Melissa asked him softly, tears filling in her eyes. "What do you hate, baby?"

"I hate all of it. Having to rely on people like this. I hate not having my parents around." He mumbled tossing his fork down as he turned toward her. "Bella, I don't want to live anymore."

"Jackson, stop it." Melissa whispered, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "Baby, you're tired, you're stressed out and you're grieving. You still have the strength to keep going, you just need a little help once in a while, there's nothing wrong with that."

And just like that, he completely crumpled into a broken heap. Melissa wrapped her arms around him and tugged him closer to her body, holding him against her as he sobbed into her shoulder. As she comforted him for the second time that day, Melissa discovered something about her best friend.

Cody Jackson didn't just break; Cody Jackson completely shattered.

* * *

><p><strong>So not what I had in mind but I've been listening to 'Broken' by Seether feat. Amy Lee and this is what comes out. I know this seems totally unlike Jackson but that was the point. I wanted you to get a good idea of the grief he's suffering from by seeing how it changes him and how it a breaks him. <strong>


	10. Going Back

After the dinner-time meltdown, Melissa helped Jackson up stairs and waited in her room while he took a shower and changed into the sweatpants and t-shirt Evan had retrieved for him. He finally emerged from the bathroom scrubbing the water out of his hair with a towel, the t-shirt hanging around his neck. He looked better even though his blue eyes were still red and watery from all of the crying he had done. She figured it was good for him to get it out of his system.

"Feel better?" Melissa asked him, closing her laptop and turning on her bed to look up at him.

He nodded and collapsed on the edge of the bed before leaning his elbows on his knees and scrubbing his face with his hands, "I don't know anymore, Bella."

"Don't know about what?" Melissa questioned, moving over to him.

"About anything." He scoffed with a sarcastic smile and a shake of his head. He raked a tired hand through his hair and looked over at her. "I'm sixteen Bella, I shouldn't feel like this."

"No," Melissa agreed with a sad sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder. "No you shouldn't. Not at sixteen."

Jackson looked down at the purple carpeted floor and let a sarcasic chuckle escape, "You know sometimes I think...?"

"Think what?" Melissa encouraged, raising her head from his shoulder.

"I think that maybe this whole mess could have been avoided, had I let her be late." Jackson admitted softly, "I was helping her get ready. She didn't want Dad to see her in her new dress so she asked me to help her put her necklace on. They were going to be late so I rushed her out of the door to meet him before they were too late."

"You couldn't have known that they would be at that stop sign at that time." Melissa shook her head, "Where does blaming yourself get you?"

"I know but...what if I hadn't of rushed her? What if I had taken a minute longer to clasp that necklace?" Jackson sighed sadly.

"The what ifs will kill you." Melissa nudged him slightly, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what?" Jackson asked her softly.

"Today, you basically snapped. What happened? It's more than what you told me earlier, why did you break? Was it the foster home or just you remembering what happened last year?" Melissa asked him softly, placing a gentle hand on his back.

"It's everything, Bella." Jackson admitted, looking over at her. "For one it's that stupid foster care!"

"What happened?" Melissa asked him.

"My court ordered social worker, Joanna, is abusive. Not physically but verbally, she borders on being a psychopath. My other social worker, the one that actually cares, Belinda is on vacation and all of the other women up there are snobs with sticks so far up there as-"

"Okay, I get it." Melissa cut him off with a shake of her head. "Yea, honey, mental images."

"Sorry but anyway, it's just that they don't really care. They're just there for the money which can't be very much considering how crappy it is up there." Jackson grumbled to her. "Bella, I don't want to go back."

"I don't know what other choice we have, Jack." Melissa sighed softly, "I don't want you to go back but

what we can do? Runaway?"

"We could-"

"We have no money, Jacks." Melissa pointed out, "No money, no car, no place to go. Running isn't an option."

"So what do we do?" Jackson asked her sadly, reaching for her hand.

As his warm hand slipped around her much smaller hand, she looked up at him with teary brown eyes. "We tough it out. Together."

"Together?" Jackson whispered unsure.

"Together."

xxx

The rest of the night was spent in complete silence. Neither one of them slept because of the impending separation come daybreak. They just laid on her bed, curled up with one another, relishing in the fact that for a few hours they had each other back. Even for just a few hours. When the sun peeked through the curtains, neither one of them was any rush to move because they knew that if they moved then that meant it was real. That they were losing each other once again.

"I don't want to get up." Melissa whispered into his t-shirt.

"Me neither, Bella." Jackson kissed her head.

He chose not to mention how good it felt to have her soft, warm body pressed up against his or how good to felt to have her soft skin easily accessible to his hands. He left out how good it felt to have some sort of physical contact with her or how he wanted to roll them over and kiss her senseless until neither one could breath.

"I don't think we have a choice." Melissa mumbled into his shirt, pressing into him a little more, trying to get as close as possible. "Not close enough."

"Breakfast," Evan smiled sympathetically as he walked in with a tray. "I figured you might want to eat in here."

The sight that met his eyes was not as shocking as it should have been. Seeing the teenage best friends huddled on the bed to avoid having to separate was sad and he just wanted to tell Jackson to stay but he knew it that it wasn't possible.

"Bella," Jackson mumbled into her black hair. "Bella, we have to eat."

Melissa nodded and moved to sit up. She took the tray from her mother and settled it over her legs. Two glasses of her mother's iced tea, two plates with blueberry syrup and maple bacon was set in front of them and despite that, neither one could work up the appetite to eat.

"Jackson, I called your social worker, I have to have you back by eleven." Evan told the sixteen year old, "So feel free to shower and do whatever it is you need to do to get ready."

"Thanks Evan." Jackson nodded, absently stroking his best friend's hair, combing his fingers through the silky black Cherry scented hair.

Evan nodded solemnly and left the room. His daughter was in more pain than he had ever seen her in and knowing that there was nothing he could do was breaking his heart. The best friends, who had been inseparable since the day they were born, were forced to separate and it was slowly killing them both.

xxx

By eleven, they had managed to eat and get ready for the long miserable day ahead of them. When eleven rolled around, they walked downstairs with solemn expressions, clinging tightly to each other and unable to keep the tears from leaking from their eyes. Evan mumbled a short goodbye to his wife who was glaring at them from the stairs and ushered them to the car. The twenty minute drive to the foster care facility seemed short and as they walked in the door, it was painfully obvious that they didn't want to be there.

"I'm going to miss you," Jackson muttered to Melissa as Evan went to sign him in at the desk.

"I don't want you to leave me again." Melissa whimpered into his chest, nuzzling her face in his t-shirt. "I'll miss you too much."

"I'll miss you too, baby." Jackson whispered pressing a kiss into her soft black hair. "I love you, sweet girl."

"I love you too." Melissa sighed, tears pooling in her eyes as she pulled away from him.

"Please don't cry!" Jackson whispered, brushing her lower lashes with his thumb, tracing the tears from her eyes. "I don't like to see you cry."

"I'll try to come visit you more often." Melissa promised, looking up at him.

"I'm counting on that." Jackson chuckled quietly, pulling away as the soft click of heels echoed behind him. "I have to go now. Bye Bella."

"Bye Jack." Melissa mumbled tearily, watching turn toward his social worker.

Without another word, Melissa turned toward her father and let him lead her out of the foster care facility and to his car. Evan watched his daughter curl up in the passenger seat and lean her head on the cool glass of the window. When she cried the whole ride home, that was when he knew that something had to be done.

This wasn't just killing Jackson. This was killing both of them.

* * *

><p><strong>So, Dally2, my wonderful friend, this is the answer to your question of what made Jackson completely lose it! For my other readers out there, if you haven't read the last chapter, you'll have to read that one to understand this one :) <strong>

**Anyways, the trailer for Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows was released on iTunes the other day and it was FREAKING AMAZING! Robert Downey Jr. dresses like a woman, which he should never do again! He's adorable and I love him but he would make a horrible cross-dresser, he's simply to built for it! **

**'Collide' by Howie Day was my most played song while writing this chapter...at least the second half of it anyway :) **

**Enjoy my Loves,**

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	11. Twisted Cinderella

_October 21st, 2007_

Melissa Wu pulled the clip from her hair, letting her silky black curls tumble down her back and over her shoulders. She walked through the facility with a paper plate of birthday cake and two plastic forks in one hand and strappy silver high heels hooked by the heel strap on two fingers of the other hand. Her burgundy dress was wrinkled and her black pantyhose had a run in them but as she walked down the hall to his room, she could have cared less about her appearance. Reaching his door, she used her heels to bang on the heavy wood until finally the door opened with a click and he appeared in the doorway. He was still dressed for the day in camouflage pants, a yellow t-shirt and a button down denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He smiled tiredly at the sight of his best friend at the door with a paper plate and silver shoes in her hands.

"I'm supposed to be at my sixteenth birthday party." Melissa sighed, looking up at him. "My extravagant, over-the-top three thousand dollar exhausting birthday party that I could care less about."

Without another word he opened the door wider to let her in, taking in her wrinkled dress, torn pantyhose and the high heels hooked onto her fingers. Her raven hair tumbled down her shoulders in a mess of silky curls and tangles. Her makeup was smudged and she looked exhausted. When she dropped her shoes on the floor and the plate on the table beside his bed before collapsing on his bed with a soft sigh, he knew that there was something wrong.

"Why do you look like Cinderella before the fairy-godmother?" Jackson asked her softly, closing the door behind him. "If I remember right, torn dress and no shoes is what Cinderella looked like before the ball."

"Only I just left the ball- otherwise known as my sixteenth birthday party." Melissa told him with a growl as she tugged at the burgundy satin of her torn dress. "My mother is driving me crazy."

"What happened?" Jackson asked her as he walked over and collapsed on the bed beside her.

Melissa sighed as she moved closer to him until she could rest her head on his shoulder, "She's controlling. She cares more about what society thinks and what is proper for upper-class than what is right, regardless of who you are."

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head, "She's just hurt, Mel."

"No she isn't. She hasn't cried since that day. She's laughed and carried on as if Cindy never existed. When Dad talks about them, she just acts like she doesn't know who they are. She refuses to acknowledge the fact that she lost her best friend." Melissa told him softly, "She acts like you, Johnny and Cindy don't exist and refuses to let me come visit you, so when I came here it was because Dad was sick of that stupid penguin suit she made him wear and he snuck out with me."

"Evan wore a tuxedo?" Jackson asked her in disbelief.

"Only because Mom threatened divorce if he didn't." Melissa told him softly, "She doesn't know it and I'm not supposed to tell her but after tonight, he's going to go file for divorce."

"Have they been fighting a lot?" Jackson asked her quietly.

Melissa wiped her eyes, not caring that she had smudged her makeup. "That's all they do anymore. He's sick of it and I'm sick of her."

"I'm sorry, Melissa." Jackson whispered into her black hair as he brushed her hair with his hand. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not like I want them to stay together," Melissa told him softly as she moved away from him and turned to lay on the bed. "They fight all the time and it's just so ridiculous and I want out of that house."

Jackson sighed as he reached over and brushed a stray curl away from her face, "Bella,"

"You haven't called me that in a while." Melissa told him softly, looking up at him through teary eyes.

"Well I will now. Bella, I know it may not seem like it right now but I'm willing to bet your Mom doesn't want to admit that she lost her best friend." Jackson explained gently, "She's just not ready yet."

"It's been over a year now, Jack." Melissa told him, wiping her eyes again.

He gritted his teeth as the pain set in again, "I know, Bella."

"I'm sorry, Jack, I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't, baby girl." Jackson whispered as he leaned down to kiss her head. "Listen, let's eat this piece of birthday and get you cleaned up before we call your Dad to come get you and you go have an awesome time at your birthday party."

"How can I have an awesome time when you aren't there?" Melissa asked him as she sat up.

"Because, you'll still think of me." Jackson smiled tenderly, gently tapping the side of her head with his fingers. "Right here."

"Okay," Melissa reluctantly agreed to his plan.

He grabbed the paper plate and forks off of the nightstand and turned to sit Indian style so that he was facing her. They ate the birthday cake in complete silence, neither wanting to eat to fast because they knew what was coming when they did finish. They didn't stop eating until every single crumb had been licked or wiped off of the plate.

"Okay," Jackson sighed in resignation as he stood up and tossed the plate in the trash can along with the plastic forks. "Let's get you cleaned up before you call your Dad."

He held out his hand and smiled at her when she reluctantly slid her hand into his and let him lead her into the bathroom after grabbing her shoes off the floor. He wet the corner of a paper towel with cool water and dabbed her cheeks with it, careful not to poke her in the eyes. Once she was cleaned and didn't look as if she had been trying to cry, he combed his fingers through her silky black curls and kissed her forehead.

"Okay, Sweetheart." Jackson whispered, grabbing the back of her neck with his hand. "Let's go call him."

Once the call was made and Jackson was sure Evan was on his way, he led Melissa outside and shrugged out of his shirt. He wrapped the denim shirt around her shoulders and pulled it around her body to protect her from the cool autumn air.

"I'm going to miss you, Jack." Melissa whispered, looking up at him.

"I'm going to miss you too, Bella." Jackson whispered, leaning down to kiss her head.

When Evan pulled up, he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. He make out their silhouettes from the orange light of the building streaming through the glass doors. Melissa was wrapped in what he guessed was Jackson's denim shirt and held her shoes in her hand while Jackson had his arm around her shoulders, his cargo pants and casual t-shirt a sharp contrast to the formal wear Melissa was wearing.

They were quite a pair those two.

"You ready to go home, Mel?" Evan asked her as he walked up to them.

Melissa reluctantly nodded and went to take off the shirt but Jackson just shook his head and pulled the sleeves down so that she could stick her arm through. Once she had her arms in the sleeves, he buttoned the shirt and kissed her forehead.

"You'll be alright," Jackson reassured her with a soft brush of his thumb over her cheek. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too." Melissa sighed sadly as she kissed his cheek and walked over to her father.

She was quite a sight in a warm denim shirt over a burgundy dress that just barely peeked out from under the long shirt, black pantyhose and a pair of silver shoes dangling from her fingers as she made her way to her father's car.

His sad blue eyes followed the car until the tail-lights disappeared into the night.

"Happy Birthday, Bella."

* * *

><p><strong>So not what I had in mind, but feel free to leave your opinions :) (If you flame me, I'll hunt you down!) Love you Dolls! <strong>

**Peace Out Dudes,**

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	12. Heartbreak

_November 2007_

Her brown eyes were blood-shot and her eyelashes wet and clumped together, the denim shirt wrapped around her petite body did little to protect her from the unusually harsh California winter, her once neat curls had loosened into messy waves, falling into her face. Her sad eyes and the defeat that was obvious in the slump of her shoulders spoke of her shattered heart and the flicker of pain in her brown eyes spoke of the emotional torture she had just endured. The icy wind made her shudder and the foster care facility seemed like heaven compared to the hell that was her house at the moment or the harsh winter weather.

She pulled the heavy glass door open with little trouble and walked inside, ignoring the fact that she was shivering and looked like a wet puppy. She stuttered and stumbled over her words as she tried to explain to the woman who she needed to see. The woman's sympathetic sigh and soft green eyes did little to comfort Melissa as she took a piece of pink stationary from the woman and followed the handwritten instructions on the page to find her best friend.

"Jack," Her voice cracked and the hoarseness of it sounded strange even to her but she could care less. "Jack, open up!"

Her fists were turning red from banging on the door but she kept hitting as she waited for him to open up. Finally the heavy wooden door swung open and he appeared. He was dressed casually in a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt, twirling a pencil between his callused fingers. His dark blue eyes looked surprised to see her but when she looked up and he could see the tears that stung her brown eyes, his eyes softened and the smile fell from his face.

"I hate my mother." Melissa rasped, crossing her arms over her chest. "I hate her."

Without a word, he opened the door to let her, closing and locking it behind her once she was in the room. "It must be bad, what happened?"

"The pool boy, that's what happened." Melissa told him angrily, uncrossing her arms and clenching her fists. "The freakin' pool boy."

"Uh Bella, fill in some blanks for me here, it's the middle of November and forty degrees out so unless your mother is crazy or I'm filling in the wrong blanks here, she was-?" Jackson broke off, unable to finish the thought.

"In bed with the pool boy?" Melissa finished for him, her brown eyes hard and ice cold. "Yea, those are the right blanks.

"She cheated on your Dad?" Jackson questioned, flinging his pencil across the room. "Is she cracked?"

"No. She was jacked." Melissa growled, rolling her eyes at his shocked look he shot her. "Literally. There was an empty whiskey bottle beside her bed, so unless my Dad has a drinking problem I don't know about, she got a little friendly with Jack Daniels. And a few other men apparently. I think there was also a Jose Cuervo and I do believe a Captain Morgan involved on both sides."

"Don't forget Julio. The pool boy." Jackson retorted.

"No see, I'm blaming Jack, Jose and Morgan for the whole mess with Julio. Liquid courage. It must have taken a whole hell of a lot because it looked like she robbed a liquor store in that bedroom. Smelled like it too." Melissa rolled her eyes, "And apparently, this isn't the first time because unless the empty bottle of schnapps that rolled out of from under the bed was just another sign of Dad's drinking problem, she's cheated before. She hides it good."

"You think she uses liquor to hide her cheating?" Jackson asked her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No. I think she uses liquor to give her the courage to cheat. She knows that if she loses Dad than she loses me too because there is no way in hell I would live with that woman. She uses her lies about having a drinking problem to cover the fact that she's cheated on him in their bed." Melissa told him, "She's been lying to him for months. She acts all lovey-dovey and expects him to believe her load of crap and then cheats on him."

She could read people as if they were an open book to her. It was something she had been doing for most of her life but nobody ever took her seriously because most of the time, it was more of an observation than anything else. She was one funniest, wittiest people he knew and also the one of the most mature people he'd ever known. He knew her well enough to know that she hid behind her sense of humor and her maturity, used it as a shield and if you were skilled enough, you could persuade to lower her shield, let down her guard and open up. He knew that behind that witty phrasing and the sense of humor, she was broken.

"Enough about what she did, Mel. I don't care about her or how your Dad is taking it. That's another worry for another time." Jackson cut her off before she could rant anymore. "How are you taking it?"

"I already told you."

"Melissa Adrianna, we've known each other our entire lives and you really expect me to believe that you hate your mother or that you're okay with all of this?" Jackson raised his eyebrows, staring at her in disbelief.

"I told you-" Melissa broke off, unable to finish as she met his blue eyes and the tears she had been fighting spilled over her already damp eyelashes. Her bottom lip quivered and her shoulders tensed, a sure sign she wanted desperately to cry but refuse to give in.

"And I told you, I don't believe you." Jackson shook his head as he walked over to her. "Baby, you aren't handling this well. Actually correction you aren't handling this at all."

"I told you-"

"No. You lied to me. Sweetheart, I've known you forever, you really think I couldn't tell that you were lying when you said you hate her?" Jackson raised his eyebrows as he held her upper arms in a firm enough grip to keep her in place without hurting her. "Hating it- that isn't dealing with it. That's pushing yourself away from it. It's protecting yourself. Your using hate as a shield. A shield to protect yourself from the pain of what she did. Sweetheart, what good is that hate doing you right now?"

"What good did she do me by cheating like she did?" Melissa snapped angrily.

"This isn't about her, baby." Jackson shook his head, "This is about you. That hate you think you feel, it isn't hate. It's anger. It's anger over the fact that the mother you once trusted and respected is no longer worthy or your trust or your respect. Despite that, you can't hate her. You can what she did but you can't hate her. Refusing to accept it, getting angry over it or hating it is one thing or for all I know doing all three, you're certainly capable of it but you're forgetting something, Sweetheart."

"What?"

"That I know you. You aren't capable of hating anyone- not even your mother. I know you hate what she did and I know you'd like to think you hate her but admit, baby, you don't." Jackson murmured, looking down at the petite sixteen year old. "I know what she did hurt you and hating is your way of hiding the fact that what she did hurt you. You can't hate her, Mel."

"Why can't I hate her?" Melissa nearly screamed, ripping away from him. "I want so bad to hate her! I want to but it's just not possible. Why? I just want to know why I can't hate her?"

Without another word, he wrapped his arms around the screaming girl and held her tight despite the fact that she was pounding her fists against his chest. Eventually the pounding against his chest settled and her hands gripped his t-shirt, her screams died down into soft, hoarse whimpers and the tense resistance in her back released as she relaxed in his arms and muffled her sobs and whimpers in his t-shirt. He scooped her up and carried over to his bed, settling her into his lap.

"Why can't I hate her, Jack?" Melissa whimpered into his t-shirt.

"Because she's your mother." He murmured his simple explanation, listening as her whimpers softened into sniffles as he continued. "And no matter what she does, who she becomes or how this all plays out. She'll still be your mother and nothing, not even the pool boy or the amount of alcohol she drinks can change that. She'll always be your mother."

"So what do I do?" Melissa looked up at him, her blood-shot eyes swollen and redder than before.

"You let this play out." Jackson whispered in her ear. "And when things get hard, well, you know where I am."

"You're all I've got left anymore." Melissa told him softly.

"You've still got your Dad, but I'm glad you think of me that way." Jackson smiled, combing his fingers through her soft waves. "Go to sleep, baby, I've got you."

"I love you, Jack." Melissa whispered, her swollen eyes sliding shut and her breathing already evening out.

"I love you too, Bella." His voice was barely above a whisper and if she heard him, she didn't show it.

Despite what had happened and what was to come, Melissa would always have a safety net. She'd always have someone to fall back on when things got too hard or to catch her when she fell. She'd have someone to put the pieces back together when she broke. She'd always have that safety, that comfort of knowing someone could take away the pain of having her heart broken time and time again.

She'd always have the safety and comfort of her best friend's arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow! Okay, I know that the end of this chapter seems like I'm ending the story but believe me I'm not. Trust me, I have many more chapters planned but I just needed to convey why she's always running to Jackson :) Leave me lots of love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. I know it seems like I'm just throwing one curveball after another but believe me, it will get happier as it goes on. It just takes time :)  
><strong>


	13. Curveball

Evan Wu looked like literal hell.

His eyes were red and watery, his clothes were wrinkled and messy and his smile was half-hearted at best. He had the same broken look in his chocolate brown eyes that his daughter had and it was painfully obvious that he had been witness to the same at home "entertainment" that his daughter had been witness to. A socialite mother and the blue-collar pool boy, or as Jackson was now, not so affectionately calling them, "the side-show sickos", made for a heart-breaking pair.

"Evan," Jackson called as he jogged down the hall to catch his best friend's father, "Hey."

"Hey Jackson," Evan's voice was cracked, "How's Mellie?"

Jackson looked down at the floor, thinking about how to answer it. He looked back up at Evan and nodded toward the doors, "Let's go outside and talk. Melissa's asleep and I'd hate to have her wake up to me telling you about the damage."

Evan nodded and turned toward the door, following Jackson outside. The reddish-gold sun bleeding into the dull gray sky warmed the unusually icy air of a harsh California winter. The soft light illuminated the bleak gray city in a halo of gold, a beauty, even Evan could appreciate.

"Sandy..she-she cheated with the pool boy." Evan told him, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans.

"I know," Jackson nodded, doing the same with his own hands. "Melissa. She told me. Well screamed it really."

"Came home, expecting to find her reading a book and instead I find her wrapped in a sheet, telling Melissa to get out of the bedroom and forget what she just saw." Evan told him softly, his voice breaking slightly. "Apparently, it had been going on for a while. Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan and Jack Daniels were also involved."

"So Melissa said. She's blaming the terrible trio for this whole mess." Jackson squinted against the ever-brightening sun as he looked at Evan.

"It's not the alcohol. It's Sandy." Evan shook his head, looking up at the halo of gold that illuminated the city of L.A. "She hasn't been happy for a while. I knew that. I think Melissa even knew it. She just...we could never make her happy and we knew it."

"Grief?"

"Yea," Evan nodded slightly, "Melissa tried to talk to her. Get her to see a grief counselor. I figured that if anyone could talk her into it it'd be Melissa."

"She is good at that." Jackson agreed with a soft laugh.

"Sandy's been borderline depressed for over a year. I knew it'd only be a matter of time before something happened." Evan sighed as he raked a hand through his hair. "I knew it was bad when she drained a bottle of wine in less than a day. I tried to stop it. Get her to see somebody before it got worse but she wouldn't."

"She's too stubborn for something like that." Jackson commented, scuffing his shoes against the concrete side-walk, his eyes focused intently on the black sneakers.

"I knew that. Melissa knew that. Even Sandy knew that she was too stubborn." Evan told him softly, "Eventually it spiralled. She was broke constantly. Never had any money. The little brown paper bags they put alcohol bottles in filled our garbage can and the smell of whatever her alcohol of choice was filled the house. Melissa was starting to get sick. The smell was too much for her. I had to move her out to the guest house to keep her away from the smell."

"What happened to make Sandy cheat? With the pool boy no less?" Jackson asked him quietly.

"Her drinking. It became an addiction. I moved into the guest room, Melissa was in the guest house. I slept in the guest bedroom but I was never in the house. I lived out of the guest house. Me and Melissa developed a system. She would cook breakfast and I would cook dinner." Evan told him, leaning back against the cold brick building. "Melissa's the only one I've got left."

"You don't have any family to help you besides Melissa?" Jackson asked him softly.

"I was an only child. I buried my parents when I was eighteen. Same situtation as you." Evan told him, "How bad was the damage?"

"She wants so bad to hate her mother," Jackson told him, "She's tried and tried but she can't. She hates what her mother did. She resents her for it but as far as hating her-"

"Melissa doesn't have it in her to hate anybody." Evan laughed softly.

"She screamed, cried and I thought she might want to beat the living crap out of me but she calmed down. I think she's trying to forget at this point but I don't think she's going to deal with it anytime soon." Jackson told him softly, "I think she might be the one who needs a grief counselor at this point."

"I know. Melissa hasn't learned how to deal with things yet." Evan sighed, "I kicked Sandy out."

The change in topic was sharp and slightly harsh but Jackson managed to keep up. "You know, it probably wouldn't be a good idea, to let Melissa in the house at least until you have any evidence of Sandy's cheating erased."

"Pysical evidence, sheets, the bed. I'm burning all of that. I'm tossing the bottles of alcohol, all the physical evidence I can get rid of." Evan blinked hard as if trying to erase the memory of his wife's betrayal. "But it's the memory that's not going to be easy."

"It'll fade over time." Jackson told him, "Eventually you'll be able to move on. Remember that you have a daughter who needs the only parent she's got left."

"Sometimes I think Melissa lives in her head." Evan looked over at Jackson, "Maybe a little too much."

"Nah, she's just not used to this whole life thing yet." Jackson chuckled, "Sixteen years, that's not a lot of time to prepare you for that stupid curveball, life's bound to throw you."

"You and Melissa, you're both being forced to grow up so fast. I don't know how you do it." Evan sighed in what sounded like amazement.

"You learn." Jackson shrugged it off, looking behind Evan at the glass doors. The doors opened and out stepped Melissa. "There's Melissa."

Melissa wiped her eyes and dragged her hand through her hair as she walked over to her Dad, who turned his head to look at her. It was painfully obvious that she had been crying and her blotchy cheeks, red eyes and dry, chapped lips spoke of how long she had been crying.

"Hi Dad," Melissa greeted quietly, looking up at Jackson. "How long was I asleep?"

"A while," Jackson told her softly, looking over at Evan. "Mind if I talk to her for a second?"

Evan shook his head and released his daughter, letting her walk over to Jackson. Melissa took his proffered hand and let him lead her a few feet away from her father. "What's going on, Jackson?"

"I think," Jackson sighed as he tried to piece together his sentence in a way that wasn't going to totally break her. "I think you need to spend a few days at home. Talk this out with your father. Stop running, everytime something happens that you can't deal with. Mel, you've got to learn how to deal."

"What are you saying? That we're-"

"Bella, stop it. You know that's not what I'm saying at all." Jackson cut her off before she could finish. He knew that she was going to take this wrong way but he also knew she'd never learn to deal if she came to him all the time. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't come visit me when you need someone to talk to or even if you just want to but you need to stop coming to me because you can't deal with something. Melissa, you're never going to be able to learn to deal with life if you know you have me to fall back on."

"Jack-"

"Bella," Jackson scolded firmly, cutting her off again. "I love you. You know that. We've been best friends forever but I can't deal with this for you. You've got to do it yourself."

Melissa nodded, barely making a sound as Jackson wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. When he let her go and led her back to her father, tears stung her eyes as what he said sunk in and she realized how heavily she had been relying on her best friend to deal with a life that was all hers.

"Let's go home, Dad." Melissa told him wearily.

"Are you okay, Mel?" Evan asked his daughter, obviously concerned.

"Let's just go," Melissa shook her head as she started to her father's car.

Jackson's face fell as she walked away without so much as a second glance in his direction. Without another word, he sulked into the building with only thing on his mind.

He had just royally screwed up with his best friend.

And there was not a thing in the world that could fix it.

* * *

><p><strong>Long and written in one hour. Without a break. Lol! So I highly recommend Ray LaMontagne's 'Let it Be Me' it kind of gives you the idea of what this chapter is supposed to be. Tearful. Yea, that song is almost a guaranteed tear-jerker. I've also decided that Belinda will play less of a role in Jackson's life than I originally intended. I don't think that Jackson would trust Belinda too much. Anyway, tell me what you think :) <strong>

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove (My longest running penname to date!)**


	14. Running

"Mom." Melissa sighed, fiddling with the denim shirt as she looked up at her father. "She was never really happy, was she?"

Evan sighed as he flipped his turn signal on, checked his rear-view mirror and merged into the next lane on the Las Angeles highway, already knowing that the long way home was a necessity. He watched the sun peeking out from behind the clouds bleed into shades of orange and yellow, streaks of orange-gold cutting across a slate gray sky. No. Sandy had never really been happy, except for when Melissa was born. It had only gotten worse when she lost her best friends. Johnny and Cindy had been there for Sandy even before he had.

"No," Evan sighed, resting his wrist on the top of the steering wheel. His other arm was positioned on the arm rest on the door. "Mel, the only time she was ever happy was when you were born. Nobody ever really knew what was going on with her. She just was never happy and it didn't matter what you did to try and make her happy it never worked. I eventually gave up."

"Even psychiatrists couldn't figure out what was wrong?" Melissa asked him softly, pulling her knees up to her chest, letting her heels teeter on the edge of the seat.

"I never sought out professional help. At first, I blamed it on postpartum depression. Until I realized that she was at her happiest when she was with you." Evan told her, "She was never happy. With me. With our marriage. It didn't help that I worked odd hours when we first got married."

"What were you doing?" Melissa asked him, squinting against the harsh sunlight streaming in the car window.

"FBI. I untied the legal knots involved with what the FBI does. I was on call all the time. I had to go wherever I was called." Evan told her, "But when Sandy found out she was pregnant, I went to work at a law firm. Stable hours. I wasn't being flown to different states. I wasn't staying in cities for days at a time."

"How did I not know any of this?" Melissa questioned, looking out at the passing scenery before looking back at her father.

"We never told you. Never thought we'd need to until now. I never thought I'd be divorcing her. I love Sandy but now that I know what she's been doing behind my back I can't do it anymore." Evan sighed as he slid his wrist down and flicked on the turn signal again and merging into the turn lane, leaving his turn signal on as he turned onto their street. "A lot of what happened between me and your mom was something that spiraled when she started drinking. When she was pregnant, the first few months fought constantly. We hid it from you for years because you had Jackson and we didn't want to drag you into our messy marriage. We pretended to be happy but in truth she was never happy. Then I found an empty wine bottle in the closet. A bottle of wine I had bought the day before. I knew something was going on."

"What happened from there?" Melissa asked him.

"It spiraled. I worked more. Told her that if she didn't quit drinking, I'd pack up and leave, take you with me. Despite the way she treated you, Mel, you were the only reason she didn't drink herself to death." Evan told her as he pulled into the driveway of their house. "Her cheating was one of the things we both pretended I didn't know about."

"How many more times did she cheat?" Melissa asked him, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Three. That I know of at least. Once with Nathan's father, Christopher. Again with one of the lawyers at my firm. And then she cheated with my secretary's husband. This was the fourth time she's cheated." Evan told his father. "She really lowered her standards."

"Why do you say that?"

"Christopher McHugh is a high-powered attorney in the state of California. Elliot Wiggs is a divorce lawyer at my firm, irony was not lost on me with that one. My secretary Janie's husband Lee makes good money in the oil industry. Works on the big off-shore oil rigs." Evan explained as they got out of the SUV. "Then with Julio Perez, a blue-collar pool boy. I don't even want to think about how many times her friends Jack, Morgan and Jose had a hand in her infidelity."

"I can't believe she-"

"Melissa, your mother was a lot of things you didn't know about." Evan shoved the key into the lock and unlocked the door before pushing it open. The gun-shot like noise as it ricocheted off the wall made Melissa jump. "She's more than what meets the eye. Sandy never liked that I was a lawyer. I wasn't the high-powered attorney that Christopher McHugh was. I couldn't give her the lifestyle that Christopher could give his wife, Diana. Do you remember Diana?"

"Yea." Melissa nodded, grabbing the pitcher of iced tea from the sub-zero fridge. "Sweet woman. Her son, however, is one of the biggest snobs at Hartwell High."

Diana McHugh was a woman of class and elegance and she handled herself with a grace that was unmatched and a sweetness that made everyone feel safe and welcome in her presence. Evan and Melissa had always liked Diana because she always welcomed them and was always a sweetheart, no matter the situation. Nathaniel McHugh, their son, however was more snobby than his attorney father. His family had money, he knew about it and he flaunted it.

"You were young so you probably wouldn't remember it, but Sandy's affair with Christopher caused a big legal mess because of him and Diana always being in the news. So when she got in a big legal mess and needed out, she confessed what she had done and asked her lawyer husband to bail her out of trouble." Evan told his daughter.

"Why are you telling me all of this Dad?" Melissa asked her father, handing him a glass of tea.

"Because I'm divorcing your mother. In order to keep you with me, I have to prove her an unfit mother." Evan told her.

"I think Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan and Jose Cuervo can take care of that one for you and unless I'm mistaken, Julio, can account for every bottle of alcohol consumed." Melissa snorted sarcastically.

"Yea I bet Julio can account for a lot of things but one thing that this case is really going to ride on is you." Evan told her taking a sip of his iced tea.

"Me? Why?" Melissa asked him, raising her eyebrows in confusion as they walked into the living room and collapsed on the couch.

"Look kiddo, it's going to be my word against hers in that courtroom. You're the dealbreaker here. You're sixteen. You are considered old enough to decide who you want to live with." Evan told her softly, setting his glass on the coffee table.

"I'm not living with her." Melissa told him, tears welling in her eyes again.

"I know that, kiddo. You know that. Jackson even knows that. But the Judge, he's not going to know that. It doesn't matter what I tell him. If Jackson could testify, it wouldn't matter what he said. What matters is what you tell them." Evan told her, reaching over to brush her hair. "If you want to stay with your dear ole' Dad, you're going to have to tell that Judge what you saw today. You're going to have relive today all over again when it comes time."

"You said if Jackson could testify, why can't he? He knows about as much as we do?" Melissa asked him, leaning her against the back of the couch.

"Jackson knows you. He's biased toward you, kiddo. If that judge found out that he wasn't a neutral fourth party in all of this, if that judge were to find out that Jackson's best friends with the plaintiff's kid, he'd be all over us in a split second and losing you would become a definite possibility." Evan explained, "Plus, judges tend to have a prejudice against foster kids. They don't take 'em seriously, don't really care what a foster kid has to say. He wouldn't take Jackson seriously."

Melissa just nodded as she looked down at the couch. "Yea,"

"Mentioning Jackson, you looked pretty ticked when you two finished talking today, what happened?" Evan asked her calmly.

"He said that if I keep running when things get tough, I'll never learn to deal with anything." Melissa told him, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Told me that if I wanted to learn to deal with life, I had to stay home and deal with it on my own. That he'd be there when I wanted to talk but he couldn't keep dealing with it for me."

"He's got a pretty good point, Melissa." Evan pointed out, looking over at her. "You don't deal with things, Ellie. You run from them. I can't say that I didn't do it when I was your age. I still do it but eventually you've got to stop running, you've got to deal with whatever life throws at you. Sometimes it's hard and it hurts a lot more than you expect it too but you can handle it."

"Even when I didn't have him close to me anymore, I ran to him. I ran to him a lot more than I should have really." Melissa admitted quietly.

"Even if you can't run to him all the time, you still need him. Jackson's probably the most stable person in your life right now." Evan told her softly, "Ellie, if you stay mad at everybody who hurts you then you'll be mad at the world. Life sometimes can suck. Okay so it's almost always going to suck but you've got to hold your head up and conquer that pain."

"I'm gonna go..do..something." Melissa mumbled as she grabbed her glass and jogged toward the stairs.

Evan nodded as he watched her run up the stairs, away from the conversation. That's all she did when she couldn't handle things was run. It was all she seemed to be capable of. He wondered if maybe Jackson was right about Melissa needing a grief counselor. Deciding that maybe a grief counselor could get through to her, he made his way into his office and grabbed his phone, dialing a number.

"Hello, yes this is Evan Wu. I'm calling to see about scheduling an appointment for my daughter, Melissa Wu. October twenty-third nineteen-ninety-one..."

* * *

><p><strong>So he takes Jackson's advice. Okay so it wasn't really advice, it was just a suggestion that he made. Anyway, next up, Jackson works on repairing his relationship with Melissa! Leave me some love, Dolls :) <strong>

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	15. You and Me

He really shouldn't have been all that surprised to find her sitting in the hallway outside of his room. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms around her legs and her cheek resting on her knee. She looked sad, hurt. Rejected. He had hurt her feelings, rejected her when she needed him the most and now she was back for another try but this time, he knew it was time to mend some fences between them. It was time to stop pushing her away and pull her back in because she was the only thing he had left anymore.

"You know," He kneeled down in front of her and brushed her cheek with his hand. "You keep running away like this and your Dad's going to stop looking for you."

She barely looked at him but he could feel her leaning into his hand. He slid his hand into her hair and brushed it away from her face, watching as she visibly relaxed and finally look up at him. Her dark chocolate eyes were red-rimmed and pain flickered in the chocolate depths. It killed him to know that he had been part of the reason that pain flickered like fire in her eyes.

"I wish I knew what to say to make this better, Bella." He whispered, scraping his callused thumb along the dark skin under her eye. "I don't know what to say, baby girl. Not anymore."

"Me neither."

"Baby, after all we've been through together," He whispered, moving to settle in beside her. "We've lost so much, been through so much crap and helped each other in more ways than anyone ever thought possible. Now, after sixteen years of having my Bella, I risk losing her because I said something stupid."

"It was only the truth," Melissa sighed as she relaxed her legs and let her head rest on his shoulder. "I do run from things I can't handle."

"I hate that instead of running to me, I made you run from me." Jackson sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. "I don't want you to ever think that just because I said something stupid that you can't run to me, Bella. You're all I've got left anymore, baby girl. I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either," Melissa told him tearily, looking up at him. "But I'm so tired of running from the pain. I don't want to face it but I don't want to run from it. I want it to go away. I don't want to let the pain win."

"Then don't, baby." Jackson told her softly, "Facing it head-on doesn't mean you're letting it win. It means you're confronting something that has had to much control over you for to long."

"I know," Melissa sighed settling back against his shoulder. "I hate this."

"I know, Sweetheart." Jackson whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I hate it too."

"I hate that pain can have so much control over someone for so long that it gets to the point, they're afraid to face something. I hate that I let it happen to me." Melissa mumbled softly, closing her eyes against his t-shirt. "I don't want to let it have that much control over me."

"Then don't." Jackson told her softly, brushing his hand through her black curls. "Don't let it control you. Let it bring out a part of you that's stronger than what people see. Just don't be strong all the time."

"We've been together for so long, coping by myself is not something I can do anymore. I don't know how to be strong when I've always had my best friend to help me. To be that strength." Melissa told him softly, "So how am I supposed to be strong?"

"You just are. Melissa, you're one of the strongest people I know. Where's that Bella?" Jackson asked her, "Where's the Bella who refused to cry at my parent's funeral because she knew that if she cried, she would only make it worse for me and she didn't want to do that? Where's the Bella who has been with me through running away from this place? Through going to this place? Where's that Bella? Bring her out."

It seemed like that Melissa had been buried beneath the rubble of a shattered heart and a pain that depsite her best efforts to run away from, still caught up with her. That Melissa seemed to be hidden away beneath the ashes and dust of heartbreak and tragedy. That Melissa seemed so far gone that she didn't know if that part of herself even existed anymore. She didn't know how to be that strong person that she used to be. She didn't know how to put herself back together again.

It was like a sick, twisted version of Humpty-Dumpty.

Only this time, there were no king's horses and king's men to put her back together again. There was only herself and her best friend, who was still trying to put himself back together despite it being a year since he had dealt with a harsh blow from that sick, twisted thing they were calling life. There were no Disney princess band-aids to keep her together. There weren't enough band-aids in the world to serve that purpose.

_"It's you and me, and all of the people.." _His rough, husky voice filled her ear.

They couldn't stop the pain of life's harsh blow. They couldn't mend the tattered parts of their lives or fix their broken hearts by themselves. What they could do was stick together. Remind each other that no matter what happened, they would always have each other.

Jackson and Melissa.

Two best friends just trying to make it in a world where the deck was always stacked against them.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow! That was depressing! Where in the world did that come from? The song I used by Lifehouse is not that depressing, it's slow and rather tender but not depressing. Geez! If you need anti-depressants after reading this emo-gothic-manic-depressive chapter, I'm sorry. That was not my intention. Anyway, let me know what you think :) <strong>

**Night Loves, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	16. Christmas Surprise

_December 23rd, 2007 _

After a solid month of grief counseling sessions, court proceedings and for Melissa, high school, both Evan and Melissa were glad when December rolled around and offered a bit of a break. Christmas meant they could settle into their traditions and take the time to really enjoy them. The Christmas tree, strung with soft gold lights glowed in one corner of the living room. Melissa sat on the floor near it, black hair pulled up in a thick ponytail of loose damp curls, a ball of thick twine on the floor along with some scissors, several bags of rinsed cranberries spread out in front of her and a threaded needle in her hand. Soft Christmas music drifted from the stereo in the other corner of the living room.

Stringing cranberries was a fairly simple process that Melissa had learned pretty quickly. The damp cranberries slid onto the twine with relative ease when a needle was used and the scent of the berries made it very tempting for her to ask her father to make his cranberry-apple cider that he was pretty much known for. She hummed along with the strains of O' Holy Night as she strung the cranberries and listen to her father move around the kitchen, preparing the turkey for Christmas day. He liked the prepare early that way he could relax Christmas morning.

"Okay, turkey is in the fridge, ready for Tuesday." Evan smiled as he walked out of the kitchen. "How are those cranberries coming, Mel?"

"They're coming." Melissa smiled up at her Dad. "It's a relatively slow process but it's coming."

"Okay," Evan smiled as he walked over to the table by the door. "I've got a last minute errand to run before tomorrow, so I'll be back in about an hour okay?"

"Okay, later Dad." Melissa smiled as she continued stringing the cranberries.

"There's hot chocolate on the stove and cookies keeping warm in the oven. I'll be back." Evan laughed as he slipped out of the door, concealing his sly, mischievous grin behind a soft chuckle as he got in his car.

He hadn't exactly lied to his daughter. He just hadn't told her the whole truth. He was running an errand but it involved a huge surprise she had coming when he got back home. As it turns out, being a lawyer was good for something other than solving ridiculous disputes. He had placed a discreet call to the foster care facility a couple of days before and after settling any legal issues involved, had managed to get Jackson released into his care until after New Years.

_xxx_

"Cody Jackson," Evan told the receptionist at the front desk of the facility. "I've arranged for him to stay with me until after New Years."

"Okay, you must be Evan," The woman smiled, when he nodded in confirmation, she continued. "My name's Belinda, I'm his social worker while he's here. Let me print a release form and have you sign it and then you are free to take him. Have him back by the fourth."

"No problem." Evan smiled as he waited patiently for the necessary paper to print. "My daughter has no idea what's going to hit her."

"Your daughter's name wouldn't happen to be Bella, would it?" Belinda asked him curiously as she handed him the paper and a pen.

"It's Melissa. Bella's a nickname. It's Italian for beautiful." Evan explained, signing the paper and handing it back to her. "He gave that nickname to her when they were about fourteen. It stuck. I call her Mel. He's the only one who can call her Bella. No one knows why. It's just one of those best friend things I guess."

"That's sweet," Belinda smiled as she took the paper. "Last room on the right."

"Thanks," Evan smiled as he started down the hall. He reached Jackson's room and knocked on the door. "Jackson, you ready?"

"Yea," Jackson's voice was muffled through the door. He appeared in the doorway with a bag in his hand. "Let's go."

"Okay," Evan nodded as they started out of the facility.

"So how's Bella doing?" Jackson asked him once they were on the road and Evan wasn't as distracted.

"She's...better. She's not quite as better as she should be but she's getting there. Her grief counselor suggested she spend a few days with the person she's closest with. I figured that since I'm a lawyer I could work something out because she said she wanted to spend it with me, but personally I think you might be better for her at this point." Evan explained patiently.

"How so?"

"Melissa, she only opens up to a few people. Her grief counselor said that if she spends a few days with someone who knows her and who she has opened up to before, she might be willing to open up and the grieving process will go smoother." Evan told him.

"Is it really grief anymore?" Jackson asked him softly.

"It's grief and anger. Grief because she cut ties with her mother. That's a loss and anger because of what her mother did that made her cut those ties." Evan explained, "She's very raw. Her counselor said it would be rough and her emotions would be very raw. She might feel things a lot stronger than most people."

"Melissa, she's always loved harder than most people." Jackson pointed out.

"That's why this hurt her more than it would have anybody else. Melissa's what they call a super-sensitive person. She's sensitive to those around her and she's more in-tune with her own emotions than is normal for any sixteen year old girl." Evan told him. "So what might not be a big deal to most people hits Melissa a lot harder than you would think."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Unable to take his mind off of Evan's explanation of why Melissa had acted like her mother had died when she cheated, Jackson couldn't help but wonder how long she had been struggling with her emotions. Melissa had always struggled on some level with keeping her emotions in check. She bottled everything up and then when the pressure was too much she exploded and shattered completely.

"You ready?" Evan interrupted his train of thought.

Jackson shook his head and looked over at Evan, "Yea. Sorry, just thinking."

Evan nodded in understanding as he led Jackson into the house and had him hide in the foyer just out of Melissa's sight. Evan smiled slightly as he watched his daughter wrap the string of cranberries around the dark green Douglas Fur Christmas Tree. The gold lights illuminated her skin beautifully and the deep red of the cranberries, glowing in the gold lights, added a certain warmth to her.

"Hey Mel," Evan called to get her attention, "I have a surprise for you."

Melissa wiped her hands on her jeans as she turned to face him. He turned his head and nodded to Jackson. As her father stepped aside and she could make out the soft blue eyes of her best friend, her mouth dropped open and her chocolate eyes pooled with tears. Before either of them could say a word, Melissa had sprinted across the living room and jumped into his waiting arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as he picked her up.

"Bella," He breathed into her hair as she cried into his shoulder. "Oh Bella,"

"I've missed you," Melissa whimpered into the soft leather of his jacket. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Bella." Jackson whispered softly, "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

"How long are you here for?" Melissa asked him softly.

"Until the fourth of January." Evan answered for him.

"I love you," Melissa mumbled into his jacket. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

"I love you too, Bella. I love you too." Jackson tightened his hold on her, refusing to set her back down. "I love you, baby. So much."

Evan smiled as he slipped away to give them some privacy. As he listened to them chatter animatedly, each trying to talk over the other and Melissa trying to hold back the stream of tears in her eyes, he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe he had helped them both.

He'd given them what they needed.

Each other.

* * *

><p><strong>So much fun! I loved writing this chapter simply because Christmas is such a wonderful, playful holiday that lends itself to so many chapters and stories :) Hope you enjoyed reading it as much I enjoyed writing it. Leave me some love Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	17. Iris

_December 24th, 2007 _

The smell of hot chocolate lingered in the air, emitted from the two mugs sitting on the coffee table. A pile of whipped cream swirled on top of each much was slowly melting into the frothy chocolate drink. A bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table waiting to be eaten but the two occupants of the couch could care less about that. All they care about is that they finally had each other back and they didn't have any intention of letting go now. Jackson was stretched out on his back, with Melissa laying between his legs, her head resting on his ribs. Their legs were intertwined making it hard to discern where one ended and the other began.

A dark, intense orange flame crackled as it burnt through the firewood in the fireplace. The warmth enveloped them in a pleasant heat that left them much too relaxed to even think about moving. He had his hand buried in the thick ebony curls that lay against his stomach, splayed out like a halo around her. The silky ebony curls knotted around his fingers and tangled in a thick mess of spirals in his palm. He rubbed his fingers together, enjoying the feeling of her silky locks slipping over his fingers. His other hand was resting on her stomach, intertwined with both of hers to the point that he wasn't sure he would be getting it back- and it was attached to his body.

"Jack?" Her voice was soft as she reluctantly broke the comfortable silence that lingered between them.

"Hmm?" He hummed his response.

"Sing for me?" Melissa requested softly, tilting her head back to look at him.

"What song, Sweetheart?" Jackson smiled tenderly.

"Anything."

"Okay, uh.." He stumbled to figure out a song before finally settling with one of his favorites. "And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to Heaven that I'll ever be and I don't want to go home right now. And all I can taste is this moment. And all I can breathe is your life. 'Cause sooner or later it's over and I just don't want to miss you tonight."

She could feel the tears welling in her eyes as the lyrics cut through her like a knife. The song had long been one of their favorites because of the beauty and the intrigue of the lyrics but since everything that had happened with his parent's death, him going into foster care and everything that she had been through in the last month, the lyrics were starting to take on a whole new meaning. They were starting to hit home for both of them.

"And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." His husky voice was perfect for the lyrics and the emotion that choked every word seemed to grip her like a vice. "And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies. When everything seems like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know your alive."

He squeezed her hand as they both fought the tears, they had been trying so hard to hold back since he arrived, long enough for him to sing the chorus. "And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

His voice faded out, the final note lingering and unwilling to fade completely as he sat up, Melissa still braced against him. He scooted back against the arm of the couch and kept his arms around her as she turned and launched at him, her face finding that all too familiar place in his neck. Her salty tears were hot against his neck, soaking the warm skin and seeping into the soft cotton of his t-shirt. Neither of them had expected the emotional response they had, had to that song. Neither of them had expected that song to hit so close to home.

"Shh, it's okay, baby." Jackson murmured, burying his face in the top of her head. "It's alright, Sweetheart."

"I miss you so much." Melissa whimpered, trying desperately to pull herself closer to him. "So much."

"I'm right here, Sweetheart." Jackson murmured with a soft chuckle, "But I get what you mean."

He missed her too. He missed having her around to talk too. She had been his best friend, his confidante, his better half for the better part of sixteen years. They had been two halves of a whole for so long that separating them was the same as shattering them.

Cody and Lissa.

Jack and Bella.

Two people functioning as one. Two halves functioning as part of the same whole. It had been just the two of them for so long that neither of them were sure how to function without the other by their side. Nobody had ever seen them without each other, to the point that if they asked for one, they had to ask for the other because they were never too far behind each other. It was hard functioning when your other half lived across town.

"I love you," She whispered into his shoulder, breathing in the spicy scent of his cologne. "I love you, I love you, I love you..."

Her sentences started to run together as she mumbled the same three words over and over again. She lifted her head from his shoulder and found herself staring into the intense dark blue eyes of her best friend. His arms were wrapped around her with his hands braced against her back, holding her against him so that they were pressed tightly against each other. She had a leg on either side of his, straddling him. She tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to her.

"Bella," Jackson breathed, unable to pull away. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Melissa nodded, pulling closer. "Please?"

He thinks he should pull away but his best friend has always had delectably full lips that are just so enticing and delicious looking that he wonders how he's resisted up until now. He closes the distance between them, pressing his lips against her experimentally at first. When he was sure she wasn't going to pull away, he pressed harder, tugging at her lip and pulling at it until she opens her mouth and he can close his around her top lip.

Her soft form molds to his perfectly as the kiss deepens and she's moaning into his mouth, groaning and gasping as they fight for a dominance that neither one of them will win. They're both too stubborn to give in to each other like this. Too stubborn to let the other win what they both desperately want. It's predatory, hot and probably for all the wrong reasons but neither of them can really force themselves to care at that precise moment.

Angry. Hot. Passionate.

It's a mixture of everything from the past year. All of the anger and the grief and the pain that they've had to endure. It's everything they need it to be and nothing at all like they had both secretly hoped it would be if they ever kissed. It was more. It was everything they could ever want in a first kiss. It was sixteen years in the making. Sixteen years of secrets, of confessions, of birthdays, countless holidays and vacations spent together.

It was everything about them.

And God only knew what this kiss was going to do to them.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally! And it only took them 1...2...3...17 chapters! Haha! I'm evil I know! To be completely honest, I almost got rid of this chapter but I decided that if that moment could act as a segue of sorts into something that's been building for 17 chapters, than I could salvage it and make it readable! I had a fabulous day! I really did! Today reminded me of why Sunday is my favorite day of the week! I'm learning how to drive and it's going much better than I expected! Leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya bunches, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	18. Christmas Resolutions

Oh...God!

This was bad, _very _bad. Or it could have been _really, really _good. She's not quite sure yet. Either way she's still not sure she wants to pull away. This is her best friend. Her incredibly hot best friend who she had known since they were in diapers. His lips are so soft and just so good. So good that when he pulled away to catch his breath she whimpered despite the fact that she was panting for air, her lips are swollen, tinged a milky red from the roughness and she's pretty sure she can taste blood on the soft flesh.

"Bella, go to the other end of the couch." Jackson mumbled hoarsely, grabbing her arms to push her away.

"Jack-"

"Bella, please, just go to the other end of the couch." Jackson rasped, pushing her away until she had no choice but to move to the other end of the couch. "I'll explain in a minute."

She moved to the other end of the couch, settling back into the cushions and drawing her knees up to her chest. She looked hurt, rejected. He sighed as he shoved a shaky hand through his hair and waited for his breathing to return to normal before he even thought about explaining himself. Once he was ready, he stood up and moved to the other end of the couch before kneeling in front of her and reaching for her hand.

"Bella," Jackson started softly, pulling at her hand until she's forced to unclasp them and let him hold them. "Please look at me?"

"What?" Melissa sighed, already wary of the no doubt uncomfortable conversation that was to follow.

"Listen to me, Bella." Jackson begged softly, "Please, just listen to me for a second?"

"Okay, I'm listening." Melissa agreed with a nod of her head.

"We're not ready for this." Jackson told her, wanting desperately to tell her that they were ready for a relationship but he knew otherwise. "We're not ready for whatever that kiss may bring. If it's a relationship, I can guarantee that one of us is bound to get hurt. If it's nothing, then whatever but I don't want that kiss to develop into something that neither of us are ready for. Emotionally, Bella, we've been through hell this past year and I can tell you right now that I would completely suck in a relationship."

"How you know that?" Melissa snapped coldly.

"Bella, I'm a sixteen year old foster kid with no relationship experience. I don't have my parents and I live across town." Jackson told her, "Now do you really see that working out because I don't really see that working out."

"But Jack-"

"Bella, I love you. You know I do, baby, but you and I both know that we're not ready for this. Not right now." Jackson shook his head as he stood up and rested his chin on her knees. "We're just not ready for something this big right now."

"I know." Melissa nodded in agreement, "I love you too."

"Maybe one day when we're both ready and we're not trying to cope with something, then we'll talk again but right now, we're right where we need to be." Jackson told her, "I love you and I can't imagine a relationship with you being anything but wonderful but not right now, okay?"

"Okay." Melissa nodded as she lowered her knees and reached down to wrap her arms around his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her and stood up, bringing her with him. As he held her close to him and nuzzled his face into her hair, breathing in the floral scent of her shampoo, he couldn't help but wonder if he had really made the right decision. He knew that they weren't ready for a relationship right now- but at the same time, he also knew that he had been in love with his best friend since he was fourteen and had walked her home from Taylor's birthday party.

xxx

"One in the freakin' morning...great!" Jackson grumbled as he rolled out of bed and started down the stairs. "Amazing what havoc being in love with your best friend can wreak on your sleeping habits."

"Oh hey Jackson," Melissa greeted, watching her best friend stumble into the kitchen.

_Ouch! _

She had called him Jackson. She never called him Jackson, usually it was just Jack. He knew then that she hadn't taken their previous conversation about the kiss as well as he had thought- okay so it was mostly hoped- but still, she hadn't taken it well and he knew it.

"Bella." Jackson started, turning away from the fridge to look at her. "Bella, please look at me?"

Melissa pressed her lips into a tight line as she looked up at him with cold brown eyes. Her body tensed as he moved closer to her and placed his hands on either side of her on the counter, trapping her against the marble counter-top.

"Bella," Jackson's voice vibrated against her ear, sending hard shivers down her spine.

"What?" Melissa clipped her words, trying really hard to actually be angry with him.

"Now Bella, you know I love you." His voice was lowered to a soft, sexy timbre and his hot breath brushed against her ear as he spoke. "Now tell me why you're mad at me?"

If someone were to walk on them in their current position, they'd swear it was a couple either making up from an argument or making out against the counter. It was the making up part that they were working on, the making out had already been taken care. _Well _taken care of. One might even say that it was _very, very _well taken care of, if the crescent marks still permanently bit into the skin of lip were any indication.

"You told me no!" She exclaimed, ducking under his arm and moving over to the kitchen table to sit down. "You told me no when I had poured my feelings into that kiss, hoping that it would develop into something."

"Babe, if you think I didn't want that kiss to develop into something, you're wrong. I did- do, whatever." Jackson sighed letting his eyes close as he turned to face her. "But I know that right now, with everything we've been going through lately, starting a relationship is not a good idea."

"How do you know?" Melissa asked him angrily.

"Bella, this past year has been pure hell for us. Bella I lost my parents over a year ago in a car crash. Bella, your parents are getting a divorce." Jackson reminded her hotly, his cerulean blue eyes cold as he stared her down. "Believe me, if anyone wants a relationship right now, it's me. I do but Bella, what happens if the relationship isn't what we thought it was and we end up splitting? Bella, I'm trying to protect you here."

"Protect me? Protect me from what?" Melissa asked him in confusion as she stood up.

"Protect you from getting hurt even more than you already are!" Jackson exclaimed after a long moment of silence, "I don't want you to stop believing in that love that you want so desperately. I don't want us to start a relationship and if it doesn't work out, worry about whether or not you still believe in love because right now, Bella, with the way you are, in grief counseling, I'm not sure you believe in love as much as you believe in a relationship because it might be the one thing in your life that actually works."

"Maybe it is, Jack!"

"Bella, you know as well as I do that relationships are never stable or predictable. They can be crazy and you never know what's going to happen. You don't have to have experience to know that. Look at your parents, Bella. I'm scared that if we start a relationship now, we'll end up like them. Seperated and not even on speaking terms with one another." Jackson told her, "And you know what, if that ever happened to us, I'd probably be tempted to kill myself. Bella, you're the only thing in my life that works. My friendship with you, it's the only thing stable- predictable. I need it and I don't want to screw it up by jumping into a relationship when neither of us are ready."

"You'd really kill yourself if you couldn't talk to me?" Melissa asked him shyly.

"Bella," Jackson moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, "You're my best friend. We've been there for each other since birth. Do you really think I'd live that long without you?"

"I don't know, actually." Melissa looked up at him, her eyes softening and flickering with the warmth that he had missed.

"I wouldn't last very long without you, babe." Jackson told her, burying his face in the top of her head. "Believe it."

"I do, Jack." Melissa mumbled into his t-shirt, nuzzling into his chest. "I do."

No, hashing it out at ungodly hour on Christmas morning was not how he planned to reconcile his relationship but he didn't care. All he cared about was the fact that his best friend finally believed him when he said he loved her.

* * *

><p><strong>Not gonna lie, I listened to Andy Griggs' 'You Won't Ever Be Lonely' while I wrote this. It proved to be good inspiration and listening to it gave me the idea that Jackson would never be able to survive without Melissa- how I got that from a song that's basically about a guy promising that his girl won't ever have to face loneliness is beyond me! Don't ask! Also, the last part about her believing him when he said he loved her, it's because she's hesitant to believe he loves her until he starts a relationship with her. I forgot to clarify that in the story. Anywho, leave me some love Dolls! <strong>

**Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	19. Eggnog

Melissa Wu sighed as she twisted her long black curls up into an elegant bug, securing with bobby pins and hairspray. Her long black dress swirled in a pool of dark shimmering silk around her silver stiletto clad feet. The high empire waist, ruched cups that sheathed her ample cleavage in shimmering silk and thick shoulder straps that laid along her collarbone accented her slim but curvy figure beautifully. The back of the dress dipped down in a V, the tip of which dipped just into the small of her back. A simple Angel pendant hung from her neck and diamond studs sparkled from her ears.

"Melissa, are you ready?" His deep husky voice made her shiver slightly as she moved toward the door and pulled it open.

Jackson's mouth dropped open at the sight of his best friend. She looked for all the world as if she belonged on the red carpet instead of at a stuffy family Christmas party. The long black dress skimmed her curves beautifully and when had his best friend acquired such cleavage?

"Melissa, you look...wow!" Jackson fumbled and stuttered before finally settling with an awe-inspired wow. "Wow!"

Melissa smiled shyly as she let her chocolate eyes graze over Jackson, dressed simply in a pair of dark gray slacks, a navy blue button down shirt and a matching gray blazer. When her mouth watered in appreciation of the gorgeousness that stood before her, she was suddenly very grateful that her father had offered to buy Jackson some dress clothes to wear to the party. The navy blue and gray was a very, almost illegally sexy combination on her blue-eyed best friend.

"You clean up well, yourself!" Melissa smiled, letting her eyes graze over her gorgeous best friend one more time.

He offered his arm and smiled when she slid her arm around his and let him lead her downstairs. To be wearing different colors, you couldn't have asked for a more perfectly matched couple than them. When they entered the Wu Family Christmas Party, they drew looks of awe and some of jealousy.

Oh and Jackson was pretty sure her father had cat-called at least once!

The family Christmas party was an annual tradition for Christmas Day. The party took place in the evening after dinner and presents. Christmas decorations adorned almost every square inch of the house and the loud chattering could be heard above the Christmas music that sang from the speakers.

"Just got reminded why I hate these things!" Melissa mumbled to him out of the corner of her mouth. "Luckily my family can only handle each other in small doses, otherwise we'd have a Bloody Merry Christmas."

Jackson barely managed to cover his snicker as she led him through the throng of people and into the kitchen where her Dad was pouring eggnog into wine flutes. Once they were finally in the kitchen and Jackson could turn his back toward the crowd, he finally snickered and laughed.

"I take it she told you the bloody merry Christmas joke?" Evan laughed knowingly, looking over at him.

Jackson nodded and managed to regain control as he turned back toward Melissa, who handed him a glass of eggnog. She smiled sweetly as she looped her arm through his and led him back into the crowd of people.

xxx

He hated Christmas parties.

He really, really hated Christmas parties.

He was halfway through his third soda of the night and into what could have been his fourth or fifth search for Melissa. When his search yielded no results he slunk back over to the radio and scanned the crowd for any sign of his best friend. He was just about to give up his search when a dark figure stumbled through the crowd. Her dark hair was falling out of the bun she had carefully pinned it up into and she was clumsily holding on her dress as she teetered in her high heels.

"Jackson?" Melissa's voice slurred as she slung clumsy arms around his neck.

"Melissa-" Jackson winced as the smell of brandy hit him and the realization of where it was coming from jerked him back. "Melissa Adrianna-Gabrielle Wu, are you drunk?"

"No," Melissa insisted, even though her clumsy movements and slurred voice contradicted her. "I just had one-three glasses of eggnog."

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she stumbled backwards a few feet, teetering dangerously on one high heeled foot, before his hands shot out and grabbed her arms to keep her from collapsing in a clumsy, drunk heap of black silk and body parts on the floor. He gritted his teeth and yanked her toward him; "I take it, it was the adult eggnog."

Her head snapped up and her eyes snapped open. "You sound mad?"

"You're drunk, Bella." Jackson gritted his teeth. "You need to go upstairs."

He squeezed her arms before turning her around and giving her a gentle nudge to get her going. He barely managed to navigate a stumbling, giggly Melissa through a crowd but by the time he reached the base of the stairs with her without anyone noticing, he figured they were all too blasted to realize that she had been drinking the adult eggnog.

"Your father is not going to be happy about this." He grumbled as he basically shoved her up the stairs.

"Jack-" She turned clumsily once they reached the top of the stairs. "I have to tell you something."

"Bella..." Jackson sighed, "Can't it wait?"

"No I have to tell you this now." Melissa seemed stone-cold sober now as she stared at him but as the words spilled out of her mouth, he could tell she was drunk. "I loved you. I did. You told me my whole life you loved me too and I held onto that hoping that one day we'd be together but now I see that'll never happen."

Tears stung his eyes as the slurred words hit him in the chest like a dull knife. "Bella.."

"I'm done Jackson. I'm done playing the waiting game, I'm tired of it." She slurred, looking up at him, rejection flickering in her brown eyes.

The knife twisted, his heart shattering as he reluctantly pushed her toward her room, determined to get her into bed and let her sleep it off. He pushed her into her room and helped her take her shoes off, before helping her into bed despite her still being in her party dress. She rolled over and fell asleep with ease, curling up into a little ball. The tears flooded his cheeks as he watched her sleep peacefully.

"If you only knew, Bella, if you only knew..."

* * *

><p><strong>Haha! I know this whole Christmas thing is pretty worn out but this idea wouldn't leave me alone, given the fact that nobody handles rejection like she did in the last chapter. I know I'm drawing it out but I promise, the wait is almost over, they'll be together soon. Anywho, leave me some love Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	20. A hangover, a phone call and a fight

"Melissa, time to wake up!"

Melissa groaned as she burrowed deeper into the bed and shoved her head under a fluffy pillow to drown out his overly-loud and entirely too cheery voice. She wanted desperately to tell him to go away and leave her alone but she knew she deserved everything she got, especially after the lovely underage drinking party she had participated in with a couple of teens, whose parents worked with her father. Eggnog was all she could remember. Yes, eggnog had most definitely been involved.

"Rise and shine, _Bella_." His tone was mocking and the way he spit out the word Bella made her cringe under her pillow. "Would that pitcher of liquored egg-nog that you didn't quite finish last night be enough to bring you out? You could finish it and tell me more about how you're done with me."

Oh...she hadn't, had she?

He did sound awfully serious, then again he was mocking her so who knows how serious he was actually being underneath the bitter mocking coating his tone. She grabbed the pillow and flung it to the foot of the bed, before carefully and slowly rolling over on her back, only to have him open the curtains and let the bright whiteness of morning stream into the window and stab at her sensitive eyes like a sharp knife. She flung one of her arms over her eyes and groaned loudly.

"If you'll sit up, I'll give you the aspirin and orange juice I brought you." His voice softened, the bitter mocking tone fading out.

She uncovered her eyes and slowly reopened them, acutely aware of the harsh light streaming through the window. She carefully sat up, propping herself up against the headboard and reaching for the blankets. Her head pounded and the nausea that throbbed in time with the pounding headache made her aware of just how much she had, had to drink. She forced her eyes up to him and found him leaning against her desk, arms crossed over his chest, disappointment clear in his eyes.

"Jack-"

"Not right now. You look like death warmed over." Jackson told her, scooping up the tray from her desk and carrying it over to her. "You weren't the only one to drink at that party last night, although noone else drank quite as much as you did."

"Does Dad know?" Melissa asked him as he settled the tray over her legs.

"Yes." Jackson nodded, popping the lid off of the aspirin. "He's not mad, just disappointed. He knew you weren't handling things well, he just didn't think you'd drink like this."

Melissa looked away, tears stinging her eyes at the thought of disappointing her father and her best friend. Jackson watched her with a sigh as he poured two aspirin into his palm and reached over to get her attention. He let the two pills spill into her palm and watched her carefully as she popped them back and washed it down with orange juice. Something about her was different then it had been. She looked dejected and defeated, as if the world was crushing her.

"Your Dad's making pancakes." Jackson told her quietly. "Hangover food."

"He shouldn't have to make hangover food. He wouldn't have to if I hadn't of drank too much eggnog last night." Melissa grumbled, tears threatening to spill over her long, dark lashes.

"Well how about instead of having a pity-party for yourself, let's go downstairs and eat breakfast so you can get over this hangover and we can talk." Jackson told her sternly, "I need to tell you something."

"What?"

He stood up and headed for the door, "I may not be staying through the fourth like I planned."

The tears spilled out of her eyes as he shook his head and left the room. She had really screwed up this time. She had known that he was mad at her, but this wasn't just mad, this was furious. The bitter, cold comment was evidence of that.

xxx

"'Lo?"

"Jory?" Melissa mumbled into the phone, hearing her other best friend's sleepy voice. "Jory, I screwed up."

Jory Twist was Melissa's best friend, who she had met in English class. She was a voluptuous girl with dishwater curls and melted chocolate eyes. She was known for being best friends with the resident surfer of Hartwell High, Ian Kilbauer, although some suspected there was more than what they were telling people considering how affectionate and flirty they were with each other. Jory had been Melissa's best friend when Jackson couldn't be there.

"Tell me, Mellie." Jory sighed softly as she sat up in bed.

Before she could stop it, the tears spilled out of her eyes faster and the story spilled out of her mouth. Everything from the kiss to the eggnog to Jackson being furious with her and leaving before he originally. By the time she was finished telling the story she had calmed to soft sniffles; "I don't know what to do, Jor."

"First of all, you two are inseparable. From the time I've known you, all you've talked about is him and he doesn't even go to our school. Now you two are going to let something like this separate you? Are you two suffering from a severe case of stupidity? Because if so, I'll get Ian and we'll come knock some sense into you two." Jory told her pointedly, "Second of all, it sounds like both of you have every right to be angry at each other but him, more so."

"Jory!"

"Well, it's true. How would you like it if he pulled that bullcrap on you?" Jory told her bluntly, a trait she was known for. "You get drunk and decide then is the time to tell him that you're done with him when you're clearly not if you care this much about him leaving. I'm sorry Mel, but I have to say it sounds like you two need to fight it out and it sounds like you need to put some sober thought into what you did last night. Clearly, you're not completely done with him. If you were, you wouldn't care."

"I know," Melissa conceded with her.

"Yes you do." Jory agreed with her friend, "It sounds like he's the one you need to be talking to not me. Look Mel, it has to get worse before it gets better and talking to him might make it worse but you have to believe that it'll get better. Otherwise you could end up losing him."

"I don't want to lose him, Jor." Melissa confessed, fresh tears in her eyes.

"Then you need to get over this hangover and talk it out with him. If you two don't talk it out or fight it out, whatever, then you'll end up losing each other, and from what you've told me, neither one of you needs that right now." Jory told her, "Main thing is Melissa, you've got to talk to him. I don't care how furious he is. You two need to get back on the right track and you need to forget about a relationship with him. At least for right now."

"I know." Melissa sighed softly, "Thanks Jor. Come over later?"

"Sure. I'll finally get to meet the infamous Jack." Jory teased her gently. "Later, Mel."

"Later Jor."

xxx

"Good Morning, Melissa." Evan greeted cheerfully as his daughter trudged into the kitchen, obviously still hungover.

The evening dress was now laying on her bed in a pile of shimmering black silk and had been traded for a pair of black trackpants , a pink tanktop and a gray zip-up hoodie. Her hair was pulled up into a haphazard ponytail and judging by the running shoes that adorned her feet, she looked as if she was contemplating a walk or a jog through the neighborhood. She retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator and kissed her father on the cheek.

"I'm going to go for a walk." Melissa told him softly, "Is that okay?"

"I think it would be good for you. Clear your head." Evan told her, "I'll save you some pancakes, okay?"

"Okay."

"Melissa?" Evan stopped her before she reached the door, when she turned back toward him, he pointed the spatula at her. "We'll be talking later, young lady. You're not getting off without a lecture."

"I know, Dad." Melissa nodded as she started out of the door. "I'll be back."

"Going for a walk?" Jackson asked her as she stepped into his line of sight from where he was leaning against the house.

"What do you care?" Melissa growled at him as she started down the driveway.

He jogged down the driveway and grabbed the hood of her jacket, pulling her back. Unfortunately her running shoes provided little traction on the icy driveway and before Melissa could re-gain her balance, she was toppling backwards. She barely had time to register what happened when her head collided with a warm chest and strong arms slid around her waist and helped her upright again. She looked up into his sapphire blue eyes.

"What's wrong with us lately?" Melissa asked him quietly.

"I don't know, Bella." Jackson sighed softly, looking down at the icy concrete of her driveway. "I don't know...how do you feel?"

"Like the Devil is kicking me out of hell." Melissa grumbled, looking up at him, surprised to find an amused grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "It would be funny since it's not your brain trying to pound it's way out of your skull."

"Shouldn't have had all that eggnog." Jackson told her softly, that flicker of an amused smile leaving as fast as it came.

"And here we go..." Melissa grumbled, breaking eye contact. "What do I get? A lecture or more mocking?"

"No." Jackson shook his head as he turned toward her. "You get your best friend telling you that you came uncomfortably close to completely screwing up your life last night."

"Don't you think that if I knew how to fix everything I've done wrong, I would? But that's the problem Jack, I don't know how!" Melissa almost yelled at him, "I get it! I've screwed up! More times than I'm comfortable with counting but I'd like to think that's what makes me just a little more human! I'm not an Angel, Jack. I'm not perfect! You aren't either!"

"I know." He was breaking down. They both knew it. "I know."

"So why are you so mad at me?" Melissa asked him, her shoulders drooping in defeat as her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Because you've given up on me, Melissa! Last night when you said you were done with me. That hurt!" Jackson finally broke. "It hurt to know that my best friend has given up on me!"

"You actually believed a word I said?" Melissa asked him, "Jackson, I was drunk! I had too much eggnog and apparently I hold my liquor about as well as my Mom held hers. Not at all. So I said I was done with you, you think I actually meant it? Haven't you ever heard that liquor makes people do and say stupid things? Jackson, I probably didn't even know what I was saying!"

"Mel-"

"Jackson, do you really think that I'd say that sober?" Melissa challenged him, fixing him with a cool gaze.

"I don't know, Mel, that's the problem. I don't know about you anymore." He threw his arms up in an 'I don't know' gesture as he stared down at her with his own icy gaze.

"Hell no, I wouldn't say that sober!" Melissa snapped at him, "I know what I have to lose here Jackson. At seventeen years old, I know more about losing things than anyone. You really think I'd take a chance on losing you and actually mean what I said? I don't want to lose you, you're my best friend. We've been best friends since birth and now you're willing to let that go because I acted stupid?"

"No." Jackson shook his head as he reached for her. "No."

She barely had time to react, before he had pulled her into a tight, fierce hug. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She finally relaxed as she breathed in his familiar scent and revelled in the comfort and warmth of having his arms around in a familiar, comforting hug that she had missed so much.

"I'm not letting you go, Bella." His voice was soft and the words were mumbled into her hair, "Not now. Not ever."

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! Done! This is it for the whole JacksonMelissa messy relationship thing. They're getting back on track now. The next chapter will be introducing Jory and Ian to Jackson and then we'll see what happens from there. Leave me some love, Dolls!**

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. Belinda is going to make a few more appearances in the story and she might be what I originally planned. She might become his foster mother that way he's not on his own when he gets out of foster care. Once a foster kid turns eighteen, they're no longer a ward of the state, at least not where I'm from. And this is California so I seriously doubt California is any different. So Belinda and Patrick might end up being his foster parents, you'll just have to read to find out. **


	21. Drops of Jupiter

When had his life become such a freaking disaster?

A friggin' screwed up, all about Melissa disaster. He loved Melissa, he did, but he also knew that when one of them got caught up in their own emotions, the other was usually drug along for the ride. It didn't make either of them selfish, it's just the way they worked. If one of them struggled then the other did too. But what happened when both of them struggled and they're taking each other for a ride? He loved his best friend but he needed time to sort out his own feelings- hell, even thinking straight for more than five seconds would be a blessing at this point.

He doesn't know how he ended up on a park bench, much less why he's on that park bench waiting for Belinda James. Maybe it's because he needed someone to talk to, someone that he could vent to that wouldn't take offense to every little thing he said.

"You know I was surprised when you called," Belinda spoke up as she walked over to the bench and held out a paper cup. "Coffee?"

He nodded as he took the paper cup from her, "Thanks."

"No problem." She sat down beside him, setting the paper cup on the wooden bench beside her before pulling her coat tighter around her body. She looked over at him, "Jackson, what's going on?"

"I needed someone to talk to." Jackson looked over at her, squinting as the sun caught the ice and the glare hit him directly in the face. "Someone who isn't having her own problems."

"What's going on?" Belinda asked him softly, reaching for her coffee.

"Things are a screwed up mess." Jackson sighed, looking down. "This girl I'm staying with, her name is Melissa. We've been best friends since birth, our parents were best friends. Lately though, she's been struggling to overcome her problems and when one of us struggles, we tend to take the other for the ride."

"What kind of problems is she facing?" Belinda asked him quietly, looking over at him.

"Her parents are divorcing- her Mom..cheated on her Dad." Jackson sighed, his shoulders slumping forward.

Jackson was a solidly built seventeen year old. His shoulders were slowly starting to broaden and his facial features were losing their softness, his jaw was a bit more chiseled and one could see the definition in his nose and around his dark blue eyes. As far as Belinda knew he had already gone through puberty but she couldn't help but notice the subtle changes, even in a kid she saw on a daily basis. The exhaustion, though, that was the most prevalent. His eyes sagged and were almost closed and his shoulders were slumped forward, exhaustion tugging at the muscles like a heavy weight.

"What else?" Belinda questioned, taking a sip of her coffee.

"She just...she struggles with her emotions everyday because of what her Mom did." Jackson sighed as he took a sip of his coffee. "And I-"

"Don't know how to help her?" Belinda offered softly.

"That works." Jackson shrugged, leaning his elbows on his knees, his forearms forming a V shape between them, the paper cup cradled in both hands.

"Well I don't think you can help her, not if you're struggling with your own problems." Belinda advised him, leaning forward in a similar position. "And from the looks of it you are."

"I don't think I'll ever get over my parents dying." Jackson shook his head, tilting his head to look at her. "It's something I'll always deal with."

"That's not what I'm suggesting. I'm saying that trying to overcome your own grief and helping her, overcome her own emotions is too much of a challenge." Belinda told him softly, "A challenge that you don't need right now. You've got your own problems to deal with. And no you won't ever get over your parents dying."

"But I can't just leave her to deal with it alone, not after everything she did for me when my parents died." Jackson told her softly.

"I'm not saying that either," Belinda shook her head, "You aren't listening. I'm saying that this friendship should be give and take. It sounds like you've been giving and she's been taking but there hasn't been any reciprocation. Instead of helping each other, it's you helping her or her helping you. You need to help each other to help yourselves."

"So what do I do?" Jackson asked her, finishing off his coffee.

"I'm saying that it's time you had a long talk with Melissa. You get everything on the table and you sort through everything until you figure out how this friendship needs to work." Belinda told him, "You go somewhere-"

"Melissa loves horseback riding. She used to be a show jumper when we were younger, got a shelf full of trophies to prove it." Jackson told her softly.

"There are stables not to far from here. Take her horseback riding. Pack a blanket and a picnic and go horseback riding. Make a day of it and talk it out." Belinda told him, "But the way your friendship is working now, it may be alright for right now, but later when all of these bottled up emotions build up enough, you'll eventually explode and that friendship may dissolve. From what you've told me, losing each other isn't an option."

"No." Jackson shook his head.

"Then you need to talk it out. Lay everything out, get it all out in the open and then work through those emotions together. If you don't, it'll happen later when you don't want it to and the backlash may be worse than if you do it now." Belinda told him, standing up. "How long did you say you'd be gone?"

"Not long. Evan...he doesn't send out a search party though...he knows where I am. He knows when I go for a walk, not to expect me back for a while." Jackson told her, standing up and tossing his cup in the trash. He looked over at her, "Thanks Belinda."

"No problem, Jackson." Belinda smiled sweetly.

He reluctantly wrapped the woman in a hug, not expecting the floral scent of her shampoo to remind him so much of his mother. His mom had always smelt of cherry blossoms and apples. It was a crisp, clean and sweet combination on her but on Belinda it was much softer, much more toned down.

"You call me." Belinda whispered, "If you need anything. And remember what I told you."

"I know. Thanks Belinda." Jackson nodded as he pulled away and started out of the park.

He stopped just at the edge of the playground and kneeled down, sifting some of the sand through his fingers before looking back up at the playground equipment. He had so many good memories of that playground. Before everything had been screwed up. Before his whole world had been flipped upside down.

_"-Go eat, dirty boy-" _

_"-I love you-" _

The memories swim in his mind like a blurry black and white movie. The ones he used to watch with his Dad on Sunday mornings while his Mom cooked breakfast. The ones with the quality so bad, it only served to make the movie more authentic. The picture may have been a little blurry and the sound distorted, but a color picture had nothing on a good old black and white. His Dad loved those old film projectors. He supposed that's where he got his love of old film.

_"-Keep your finger on the string and press down a little harder, until you feel the wood; now strum-" _

His love of music. He remembered his Dad teaching him to play guitar under the tree on top of a hill that they had spent so many fourth of July's on. A path had been worn from little feet running up and down the hill continuously. He remembered his Dad plucking intricate melodies from a battered guitar that seemed as if it was on it's last leg. He remembered how entranced him and Melissa had been each and every time his Dad brought out the smooth black case.

_"-Have a good night son, we'll be back soon-" _

The memories flashed, swimming in a stream of black and white images and broken voices ringing in his head. He had been so caught up in helping Melissa with her problems that his own grief and frustration had taken a back burner. The grief that had at one time been so much a part of him, it nearly drove him insane, had taken a back burner and now, here in the park, the memories and the grief were threatening to overwhelm him.

"What else is wrong, honey?" Belinda's voice broke the stream of memories as she dropped down next to him.

"My Mom used to pack us a picnic and bring us to the park. My Dad would bring his guitar and after he had run off all of my energy in a game of baseball, he'd play for me. Sometimes me and Bella." Jackson admitted, looking down the sand. "He taught me how to play. I don't play; never have really but he always said that if it was good to have a hobby, something that I'd never stop learning. He told me that if I took up music, I'd always learn, I'd never get bored with it."

"You should play." Belinda told him softly, "My husband, Patrick, he plays sometimes. It's crazy really, how beautiful six strings can sound when they're plucked right."

"Patrick?"

"He's my husband. He has black hair and dark eyes, a mix of blue and green I think." Belinda told him, "I met him in high school, we've been attached at the hip ever since. We were the odd couple."

"Odd couple?" Jackson looked over inquisitively.

Belinda laughed as she looked down, "I was a bit of a freak. I wasn't the coolest girl to be around. Patrick was...he was the coolest and the sweetest. He was my best friend."

"He sounds cool." Jackson told her, "Sounds like my Dad."

"I know you miss your parents a lot Jackson." Belinda told him softly, reaching over and resting a gentle, motherly hand on his shoulder. "But I also know that you're stronger than most seventeen year olds are."

"I don't know about that." Jackson shook his head.

"I do." Belinda nodded, "Jackson, we may not be the closest but I can see that you're a very strong person. It takes a strong person to put his own feelings on a back burner for his best friend. I also know that being that foster care facility is wearing you down."

"It's not exactly the funnest place to live." Jackson laughed softly as he stood up.

Belinda chuckled as she stood up, "I'll have to talk to Patrick about this but I've been thinking, why don't you come live with me?"

"Live with you?" Jackson looked at her with a certain amount of reluctance, not quite sure what to make of her offer.

"We live in a place with more than enough room. It's certainly big enough and it'd make seeing your best friend a lot easier." Belinda told him softly, "I'll have to talk it over with Patrick but I don't see the problem. Plus the day you turn eighteen, you're on your own, this way you have a place to live."

"I'll have to think about it." Jackson whispered into the cold air, his breath a rush of warmth creating a stir of white fog.

"Take all the time you need," Belinda told him. "I have to get back to work now."

"Okay," Jackson shoved his hands in his pockets. "Bye Belinda."

"Bye Jackson."

As she walked away, he couldn't help but wonder what would posess her to want to take him in. He was a foster kid; a nobody with a best friend who was dealing with more issues than even she knew what to do with. He walked out of the park, ignoring the crunch of the frosty, dried up leaves under his shoes and wondered if maybe Belinda James had been his mother's way of saying that she was still there. His eyes lit up as he remembered a song that had come out a few years ago, with the same basic premise. With a deep breath, he let an experimental note slip from his mouth before singing the only line of the song he could remember;_ "...Now that she's back in the atmosphere with drops of Jupiter in her hair..."_

* * *

><p><strong>The whole Drops of Jupiter thing wasn't planned but it seemed to fit what with Belinda reminding Jackson of his mother and her husband's name being Patrick. Somehow I managed to tie the two together. Haha! I'm a dork and a sucker for all things Train related. Anywho, Dally2, this one's for you! I hope you like it! I know you wanted to see more of Jackson's side of this whole mess, here it is! Leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	22. The Memories In The Friendship

The sun was starting it's slow, mid-afternoon descent by the time he made it back and the craving for another cup of coffee had become prevalent after spending a few hours in the icy cold air of a December afternoon, even if he was in California. He carefully jogged up the driveway and into the house. Animated chatter drew his attention to the living room where he found his best chatting animatedly with a voluptuous girl with chocolate eyes and a skinny guy with short, light blonde curly hair.

He kept his eyes on his best friend who was happily perched Indian style on the arm of the couch, feet tucked beneath her and thick black hair pulled up into a knot. She was giggling animatedly and judging by her wild hand gestures, she was telling a rather exaggerated story. There was a warmth in her chocolate eyes that he hadn't seen in quite some time and if he was quite honest with himself, he enjoyed seeing her so happy for a change.

"-We climbed down the trellis-"

"-Why would you climb down a trellis?-"

"-To get out of the house-"

He chuckled softly at the story she was telling and watched as she rocked precariously on the arm of the couch, flinging her arms about in a mess of limbs and digits. He forgot how excited she could get when she told a story. It was so funny to watch her because she just exploded into this wonderful mix of bright bubbling laughter and exaggerated movement.

"-Only you, Mel-"

She looked up from her position on the couch arm and caught his eye. The smile that illuminated her face softened and the warmth that twinkled in her eyes as she held her arms out for him drew him into the room. He walked over to her and leaned down to wrap his arms around her, taking a second to whisper in her ear; "I'm going to get some coffee and then I'll be right back. We need to talk later."

She nodded okay and let him go, watching as he walked into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. She was only jolted back to reality when Jory practically yelled her name; "Melissa!"

"Yea?" Melissa turned back to her other best friend. "What was that?"

"You were just telling me about the time you climbed out of the second story window of Taylor Hagan's house." Jory told her with a chuckle, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

Melissa met Jory's melted chocolate eyes with her own coffee colored eyes, noticing the wry grin that pulled at her best friend's mouth and the amusement dancing in the melted chocolate depths. Melissa jerked her head and met Ian's green eyes, which were alight with a laughter that seem to be permanent in the pools of sparkling jade. The amusement in his grin and the mischief in the jade green eyes let her know that he was obviously amused by her lack of focus on the story.

"Shut it, you two. He's my best friend." Melissa growled at them, blinking against the wave of fresh tears threatening to sting her eyes.

She raised her arms up and jutted her hips to one side, sliding off of the arm of the couch and bouncing onto the soft cushion of black leather. She sat up and turned toward her best friend, picking up the story where she left off without missing a beat; "-so we're walking across the lawn-"

From the kitchen, he can hear her animated chatter and the amused laughter of her friends. He remembered that story, that experience. He'd come out of that particular experience without his favorite black blazer. Although if he was totally honest with himself, it had looked better on her. He stirred the sugar into the strong black liquid that filled the dark green porcelain mug and smiled in amusement at her endless chatter.

"Jack, march your butt in here, I want you to meet these two."

xxx

Delighted giggling bubbled up in her throat and before she could stop it, tore out of her throat as she listened to her best friend recount the tale of the first time she had ever heard his voice crack. She buried her face in her hands as she tried to control her overly-amused giggling. The first time she had ever heard his voice crack, it had ripped his seriousness to shreds and made everything that came out of his mouth ten times more amusing than it should have been.

She turned slightly and dug her face into her best friend's shoulder, inhaling the scent of his cologne mixing with the smell of fresh, clean cotton as she tried to control her amusement. Fresh tears stung her eyes as the familiar smell assaulted her senses.

"Bella," Jackson murmured as if sensing something was wrong. "Bella, what's the matter?"

She took a deep, cleansing breath and lifted her head to look at him, "Nothing. Keep telling your story."

He gave her a look that clearly said he wasn't buying that but let it go and kept telling the story. By the time he was through recalling everything, Ian and Jory had collapsed into bouts of hysterical laughter and Melissa had melted into even more giggles. During a moment of sobriety, Jory met Jackson's eyes over Melissa's head. His dark blue eyes were piercing and revealed everything. The sparkle of enjoyment in them, the glint of michief and the flicker of a lingering pain.

Melissa's giggles died out and the sparkle of enjoyment in his eyes dimmed.

"Jor," Ian's voice broke her out of her trance, causing her to jerk her head toward him. He nodded toward Jackson and Melissa. "Jory, I think it's best if we left and let these two talk. It's obvious they want to talk. I think we should go."

Jory looked back at Jackson and Melissa, who were sitting so closely together that discerning one from another would have been impossible had you not looked closely enough, but it was obvious from the awkward silence that they needed to talk it out. She nodded and leaned over to Mel, pulling her best friend into a hug.

"You two need to talk - you call me if you need me to kick his butt for you. Okay?" Jory mumbled into her friend's ear. She squeezed Melissa gently and pulled away. "Call me - if you need anything."

"I promise, Jor." Melissa smiled, leaning back into Jackson's side as his arm dropped from the back of the couch to her shoulder.

They looked so comfortable sitting together that it was impossible to tell that a mere twenty-four hours ago, their relationship had been something akin to World War Three. It was hard to tell just by looking at them but she supposed that they were so comfortable after a lifetime of knowing each other that it was impossible to not be close to one another. Ian bid them both goodbye, after telling Jackson that it was good meeting him and moved to wait for Jory at the door.

"Oh and I forgot to tell you, Jayce wants to see you while she's home from university." Jory told her before disappearing out of the door with Ian, whose arm was carelessly but protectively slung around her shoulders.

"Jayce?"

"Jory's older sister. Jayce has been away at university. Stanford actually. She's studying Communications and Law." Melissa explained to Jackson. "Ian's older sister, Melody is attending the same university, studying Literature."

"Don't you have a cousin at Stanford?" Jackson absently traced lazy circles on her hip with his fingers.

"Alexa and her boyfriend, James." Melissa sighed softly. "My grandparents, on my Dad's side - Eric and Regina - graduated from there."

"You know we have to talk right?" Jackson looked down at the top of her head, tracing each black curl from root to end, all the way down to her ribcage. The shiny ebony was a sharp contrast to the jeans and white t-shirt she had changed into.

"I know." Melissa nodded, turning her head to get a better view of him.

"I went to the park. I ended up talking to a social worker from the foster home, Belinda." Jackson absently played with the sleeve of her shirt, fingering the soft white cotton. "She reminded me that friendship has to go both ways otherwise it ends up being one-sided and we could lose each other."

"Sounds like something your Mom would have said." Melissa noted, playing with the hem of her t-shirt.

Jackson nodded and leaned down to bury his face in the top of her head; "She's a lot like Mom."

A comfortable silence fell over them, both of them bombarded with memories of Cindy Jackson and all that the memories entailed. Memories of the sweetness and the warmth that poured from her, the soft raspiness of her contagious giggles and the sweet and wonderous way she always knew exactly what either him or Melissa needed to hear for whatever situation they were in. It was something that had always left them in awe.

_xxx_

_"I hate school!" The front door ricocheted off the wall and slammed shut as his backpack hit the floor and heavy footsteps of a certain ten year old stomping into the house reached her ears. Drying her hands on a dishtowel, Cindy Jackson smiled in amusement as she walked around the kitchen island to greet her son as he stomped into the kitchen. _

_"Why do you hate school?" _

_"The kids are mean and stupid!" Cody pouted, clambering up onto a stool to sit at the kitchen island. "They're all mean and stupid." _

_"Cody!" Cindy admonished, swatting at her son. "Your best friend goes to that school." _

_"Not Mellie. She's still my best friend - but the rest of them are mean and stupid." Cody shook his head, his flyaway dirty blonde hair tumbling into his eyes. _

_Cindy shook her head at her son's antics, moving to push his hair away from his eyes. "What happened?" _

_"Some of 'em were teasing me about Mellie being my girlfriend. They were teasing her too." His big blue eyes filled with tears as he looked up at his mother. _

_For a ten-year-old who really didn't know what being protective was all about, he could be fiercely protective of his best friend. She couldn't count the number of times he had come home nearly in tears over something that someone had to his best friend. _

_"Cody," Cindy started, reaching over to brush her son's chubby cheeks. "Listen to me son. You're ten years old with a girl for a best friend. There will always be somebody who wants to bully you, but honey, you can't let that get to you." _

_"So what do I do?" _

_"First of all," Cindy reached across the island and grabbed a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies, bringing them into view. "You have a cookie. Second of all, you stay with Mel. No matter what those kids say. She's your best friend. Thirdly, you remember this. You're a very lucky kid. You have a family that loves you and a best friend that loves you too and that needs you around. So don't listen to bullies." _

_"Okay, Mom." _

_"Good." Cindy nodded once and stood up straighter. "Now, homework." _

_"Ah man, do I have too?" Cody whined, jumping with an over-dramatic leap off of the chair and back into the living room to retrieve his previously thrown backpack. _

_"Yes, you do." Cindy laughed as she followed him. _

_"Okay." Cody's shoulders drooped as he started to his room. _

_Cindy was surprised when he came dashing back into the room and flung his arms around her waist, nuzzling his face into her stomach. She wrapped her arms around him and looked down, meeting his baby blue eyes. A toothy grin lit up his face._

_"Thanks Mom."_

* * *

><p><strong>I have no idea why I decided to include the memory at the end but it just seemed to fit somehow. I think Jackson and Melissa would have caught a lot of crap for being friends. I think in some ways, they do feel bullied, not by kids but by life and that seems like a direct parallel to being bullied at school and I think it would inevitably lead to Jackson needing his Mom around. Anyway, leave some love Dolls :)<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	23. Screaming and Crying

_September, 2005_

_Dried leaves crackled under the rubber soles of their converse sneakers. The stone pathway that wound around the park, curving and twisting through a tangle of dry trees, was one that had been walked many times by the Wu and the Jackson family, most of the time together. Now was no exception. Lingering behind them, talking - all the while keeping an amused eye on the teenagers in front of them - were their parents. With his leather clad arm slung carelessly but protectively around her shoulders, Jackson was the epitome of a protective boyfriend. While Melissa, clad in her own leather jacket and jeans, looked the part of adoring girlfriend as she hung onto his every word. _

_"Mel," Jackson tightened his hold on her as the icy sting of the cool autumn wind bit at them. "You're being awfully quiet, what's up?" _

_She burrowed deeper into his side, seeking shelter from the stinging wind as it picked up and bit at them again, seeping through the soft warmth of her cable-knit sweater. "Cold." _

_Jackson chuckled as he ducked his head and kissed the top of his best friend's head, nuzzling into her soft black hair as he wrapped his arm around her tighter. She pressed her cheek against the soft warm cotton of his t-shirt and reveled in the warmth, her best friend offered. _

_"Sweetheart," Jackson murmured against the top of her head, "What's really going on?" _

_"Nothing." Melissa brushed it off as she looked up at him. "Come and catch me!" _

_With that, she took off running, converse sneakers crackling over the dead leaves and crunching through the gravel that skittered on the cool, smooth stone pathway as she ran. Jackson shook his head and chuckled as he took off after her, watching as her long strides contradicted her lack of height. She weaved in and out of the trees with ease before finding her way back onto the path and continuing her sprint. His height and overall dominating strength gave him an advantage as he overtook her in a few strides. His arms encircled her waist from behind and she instinctively pulled her legs up as he lifted her up off of the ground, bending his head to whisper in her ear; "Gotcha!" _

_Despite his height advantage, his momentum threw him off balance and they both went tumbling down to the soft earth, crunching into the dead leaves and laughing as pieces of crumbled leaves clung to their clothes. He rolled over onto his back and braced Melissa against his chest so that she was looking down at him. _

_"Sweetheart, what's really going on?" Jackson asked her softly, reaching up to brush a stray curl from her face. _

_"I'm going to be fourteen next month. What's going to happen to us?" Melissa asked him reluctantly. _

_"Nothing." Jackson shook his head. "Absolutely nothing. I know that you think something's going to tear us apart but we've best friends entirely too long. Nothing is going to happen, you have to know that." _

_"I know," Melissa nodded, "I know. I just...I just get worried that if something does happen, that I won't have you to talk too...I'd miss that." _

_"Baby, nothing will happen. Nothing can keep me from you, okay?" Jackson reassured her leaning up to rest his forehead against hers. "You're my best friend. Nothing and no one will ever be able to change that." _

_Melissa smiled as she pushed herself up and reached down to help him up. He grinned as he grabbed her hand and tugged on it. Her balance was thrown off and his arms encircled her again as she fell back into him, giggling as his fingers dug into her ribcage. She rolled away from him onto her back but he crawled on top of her and tickled her ribcage, watching as she squirmed and tried to curl up into a little ball, fervently pushing his hands away. _

_"What's going on here?" _

_xxx_

There were times when he screwed up more than even he was willing to admit. Those times were the worst and now - sitting on a horse - watching his best friend try her best not to let the tears leak out of her eyes, he knew that his screw up, of the utterly royal variety could possibly lead either into a conversation that would get everything out in the open or he had just ruined any chance to save their one-way friendship.

He hadn't meant to snap at her.

Actually, he's not quite sure why he snapped at her at all. They had been quietly riding their horses along the well-worn trail that had obviously been ridden on by generations of other horseback riders. Maybe it was the silence that was driving him crazy or maybe it was knowing that both of them staying silent was what had led to the need for this conversation in the first place. All he knew was that they had barely been on the trail fifteen minutes when he had snapped.

_"I brought us out here to talk, now can you please just say something?" _

He had been unusually harsh and the icy sting of it had hurt her. The cold harshness of his demand had been too much for her. She had just looked down at her hands and kept walking, not letting him see the tears that were no doubt stinging her eyes. He knew that the pools of rich chocolate brown were probably flooded with tears by now and try as she might to stop them, they would eventually fall.

"Bella," He sounded apologetic and pleading but he knew it was going to take more than that. "Bella, please talk to me? I'm sorry for acting like a jerk."

Melissa raised her head to meet his eyes, her own chocolate eyes were cold and pooled with tears. "What do you want me to say, Jackson? That I'm okay? I'd be lying to you."

"I don't want you to lie to me, Bella." Jackson shook his head, "I don't want to lie to you either. I brought us out here to talk - to be honest with each other."

"What's there left to say, Jackson?" Melissa shook her head, pulling her feet from the stirrups and swinging herself out of the saddle. "What do you want to talk about? How we can't seem to deal with each other anymore? How everything we do or say seems wrong to each other? How I'm still in love with you even though I claimed I was done with you?"

_Ouch! _

That hurt. He had to wonder if things were really as bad between them as they seemed. If their friendship truly was crumbling to bits and pieces. He swung himself out of the saddle and walked over to her, looking down at the petite Asian with soft blue eyes.

"You're still in love with me?" His voice was husky, raspy and true curiosity shone in his eyes.

"What did you think? That one drunk exclamation of 'I'm done' was going to make me get over you?" Melissa spat sarcastically, glaring up at him. "It doesn't exactly work like that, Jackson. It takes a lot more than alcohol and the drunken belief that you can do it, to actually get over someone."

"Sweetheart," Jackson drawled in a husky voice that, had she not been angry with him, would have had her wanting to kiss him senseless rather than throttle him. "I don't know how or why our friendship suddenly went down the drain but I'm trying to fix it."

"Trying to fix it?" Melissa spat angrily, tearing away from him. "Fix it? Or screw it up even more?"

"I'm trying to fix it but at the same time I'm also trying to figure myself out." Jackson spat out angrily. "This whole friendship thing is a two-way street, although you don't seem to be traveling on it!"

"Oh so now you blame it on me?" Melissa asked him indifferently. "What do you want me to do? Pretend like I'm okay until you figure yourself out? What the hell kind of friendship are you looking for here, Jackson? I think we're on two very different pages of two very different books!"

"I want us to figure it out together!" Jackson finally snapped. "I want to figure this thing out together because if we don't and we lose each other, I guarantee you I will kill myself!"

Melissa jerked back with a gasp. That had hit her like a punch to the stomach. He had never been so brutally honest. He had never mentioned before - and if he had she couldn't remember it - that he had considered committing suicide if they ever lost each other. He had never come right out and said that if they lost each other, than she'd be burying him in the plot alongside his parents. That he would be responsible for his own death.

"Jackson-" Melissa whimpered, moving away from him. "Jackson, please! Don't say that!"

"Bella," Jackson softened, his expression softening when he realized what he had done to her. How much he had scared her. "Bella, please. I'm sorry, Sweetheart, I didn't mean to scare you."

Without warning, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight, fierce hug. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the top of her head as the tears poured out of their eyes. Whatever needed to be said between them could wait until later.

I love you I love you IloveyouIlove you..." Her words ran together until all he could make out were the words 'love' and 'you' being mumbled into his shoulder.

"I love you too, Sweetheart." Jackson whispered into her hair. "I love you too."

And for the first time since his parents died, over a year ago, Cody Richard Jackson broke down in tears, sobbing helplessly into the top of his best friend's head while she sobbed into his shoulder.

They would figure it out eventually.

They had to.

There was no losing each other now.

* * *

><p><strong>The part in italics is a "flashback" because I wanted to show how they promised they'd always be there for each other and have each other to talk to and then show them actually being there and talking it out - well crying it out. Do you know how helpful a good cry can be sometimes? I tend to cry when I'm frustrated, it works wonders! It relieves stress and sometimes, it can actually be relaxing. I'm an odd person. Anywho, let me know what you think and I'll see you...later! Leave me some love Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	24. Life's Good

There was no evidence that any trouble between them had ever existed when they busted through the front door, arms wrapped around each other, laughing. The red eyes from crying were ignored, the tension that had once lingered between them had dissolved and the friendship had triumphed over the trouble. Their personalities melded together, the need for one another was once again prominent and the amusement that always ensued when they were together was back.

"Jackson, Melissa!" Evan greeted with a smile, meeting them in the foyer. "I see you two are on good terms again."

"Yea," Jackson nodded, looking down at his best friend, who met his eyes. "We talked and worked it out."

"Good, well, there's someone here to see you." Evan told him, "Belinda, I believe her name is."

Jackson smiled down Melissa. "Belinda's my social worker. I think you'll like her."

Evan smiled as he led them into the living room where Belinda was waiting on the couch with a man, who Jackson guessed was her husband. He was tall with tanned skin, inky black hair and eyes that bared a strange resemblance to aurora borealis. The mix of blue and green swirled and glittered in the light.

"Jackson," Belinda smiled, standing up.

"Hey Belinda." Jackson greeted, tightening his hold on his best friend. "Melissa, this is my social worker Belinda James."

"Hi." Melissa greeted shyly, taking the woman's warm appearance. The silky golden curls and the warm brown eyes all made her think of one person and she could immediately sense that Belinda was well loved by everybody.

"Hi Melissa," Belinda smiled warmly. "Jackson, I wanted to introduce you to my husband, Patrick."

Once the introductions were made, Evan left them alone while he did some work in his office. Patrick and Belinda sat on the couch while Jackson in an arm-chair, with Melissa perched on the arm like a bird until Jackson reached up and gently tugged her into his lap. She settled into his lap with ease and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. It wasn't something Belinda expected out of them but the way they acted, it was perfectly normal.

"I see you two have worked things out." Belinda smiled at them.

Jackson nodded and squeezed his best friend's hip affectionately. "Definitely."

"Belinda tells me you play guitar?" Patrick asked him.

"Sort of - my Dad taught me a few chords when I was little. I don't really mess around with it too much." Jackson told him softly; both he and Melissa could feel the muscles in his neck tense.

Melissa played with the hair at the base of his neck as she leaned her forehead against his temple. "Jack?"

"It's okay, Bella." Jackson, whispered, turning his head and pressing his lips to her cheek. "I'm okay."

Melissa nodded, but kept her hand on his neck until the tension eased and he seemed okay again. Both Patrick and Belinda could tell that there was seventeen years of close-knit friendship between them and Belinda had long ago learned to appreciate having someone stable. Melissa was obviously the stability in his life and they could both tell from the look in Jackson's dark blue eyes that he adored the Asian on his lap.

"What do you like to do, Melissa?" Belinda asked her.

"I like to draw." Melissa smiled, looking down at Jackson. "I have a new one for you."

"Go get it." Jackson slapped her hip playfully.

"Bossy, bossy!" Melissa grinned, jumping up from his lap and starting toward the stairs.

Neither Belinda nor Patrick missed the fact that Jackson followed Melissa's every step with his eyes or the fact that he had been smiling from ear to ear since they arrived. Melissa came back downstairs with a piece of large paper out of one of her many sketch pads and smiled as she handed it to him.

"Mel..." Jackson breathed upon seeing the beautiful drawing.

She had captured a single moment in a beautifully handdrawn picture. The picture depicted Johnny, Cindy and a younger Jackson at the park sitting on top of the hill. Johnny with a guitar on his lap, his fingers resting against the strings. Cindy was smiling with a young Jackson in her lap. Lyrics spiralled from Johnny's mouth as if he was singing to his wife and son and Jackson could almost see the gentle sway of his Mom's body.

"Do you like it?" Melissa asked him nervously.

"Like it? Bella, it's beautiful!" Jackson breathed, looking up at her. "How long have you - ?"

"Sixteen months." Melissa told him.

"You mean - ?"

"I started it the day after their funeral as a memorial. I never could finish it. It never seemed right." Melissa told him. "I was going to make it a birthday present but I never could work up the courage to finish it. Then the one year anniversary - and I just..."

"You're amazing!" Jackson breathed, "You're just amazing!"

"Can I see?" Belinda asked him softly.

He handed her the picture and turned back to Melissa, sweeping her up into his arms and pressing multiple kisses into her dark hair. Patrick stood up and looked over his wife's shoulder at the portrait drawn onto the paper. It was so well drawn and so beautifully detailed that it was almost hard to believe it wasn't printed.

"This is amazing, Melissa." Belinda complimented the girl.

"It really is!" Patrick nodded, looking over at them. "Are these your parents, Jackson?"

"That's my dad Johnny -" He pointed at his Dad and then moved to his Mom, "-that's my mom, Cindy."

"She was very pretty." Belinda smiled, handing his picture back to him. "Actually we have something we want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Jackson asked him.

"Me and Patrick were talking and we know that in a few months, you won't be able to live in the foster care facility anymore." Belinda told him, "We have a house with more rooms than we'll ever need. You'll have a stable place to live, it's three streets over so you'll be able to come see Melissa whenever you want. We want to know if you'd consider coming to live with me and Patrick?"

Jackson stumbled back a step in shock. He could not believe it. Somebody actually wanted him. The oldest foster kid in the system and somebody actually wanted him in their home. He turned to look at Melissa as if to ask her if it was real and when all she could do was smile and nod, he knew his answer.

"Yes." His mouth was faster than his brain. "Yes!"

And in a haze of tears and laughter, all Jackson could do was think about how his life was finally going right. He was back on good terms with his best friend and Belinda had actually kept her word. Unlike the three other potential foster families - none of which he actually liked - who had backed out when they found out his past.

As he looked down into his best friend's eyes and smiled a real smile for the first time in what must have been over a year, it was all he could do not to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her.

Maybe some day he would.

* * *

><p><strong>This is one of the happiest chapters I've written for this story! Belinda seemed to be a well received character and I know that Patrick didn't really talk much but I promise, he will have more interaction with Jackson, I just haven't quite shaped his character yet! Anyway leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. They're still sixteen. They'll be turning seventeen in the next few chapters. It's kind of confusing but I'm going to explain some in the next few chapters. **


	25. Best Friends Maybe More

_January 5th, 2008 _

Melissa leaned back against the wall of her best friend's room in the foster care facility as she folded a black t-shirt and set it on top of the camouflage pants in a moving box. Jackson was packing up what was left to take with him to Patrick and Belinda's. It mostly consisted of notebooks, his father's guitar - which she had forgotten about, and a few pictures that he carried with him. She stopped folding his denim shirt to watch him move swiftly around the room, packing up his stuff.

"Okay!" Belinda exclaimed as she walked into the room in a pair of jeans and a dark brown zip up jacket, her long blonde hair piled high on top of her head, in a similar fashion to Melissa's own black hair. "I just talked to Patrick - your bedroom is still being set up, so let's finish packing, get all of your stuff over there and then we'll go shopping for clothes and stuff."

Jackson nodded and turned to Melissa, who was still holding his denim shirt, and shook his head in amusement. "Hey Bella, are you going to let me have my shirt or can I just forget I ever had it?"

"Don't forget you had it but don't count on having it all the time." Melissa smiled as she tossed the shirt on top of the clothes already in the moving box.

With that she stood up and scooped up the moving box, taking a second to readjust the heavy weight before moving past Jackson, smiling at him as she passed. He tried not to notice the fact that his stomach flip-flopped like a fish out of water when she did that. When the smile bordered on being a little more flirty than friendly. He shook his head at his clumsy best friend, watching her struggle under the heavy weight of the box.

"You're going to hurt yourself." Jackson grumbled, tossing his duffel bag into the trunk before turning to take the box from Melissa. Their fingers brush as he takes the box from her and the electric buzz that zips up their arms goes ignored. "Clumsy."

"Ah," Melissa gasped over-dramatically, slapping her hand to her chest in a fake-offended pose. "You wound me."

"Poor baby." Jackson patronized her, mocking her over-dramatic acting as they moved to get in the car.

Belinda shook her head in amusement as she purposefully slammed her trunk as hard as she could. Almost immediately the bickering duo silenced and got in the car, with only nervous twitchy smiles shot between them, evidence of hysterical laughter threatening to burst at any moment. It was a jarring change from the fighting and the tears that had dominated their friendship not a month ago. They try their hardest to pretend they're staring straight ahead but it doesn't work. Almost simultaneously their heads snap around, eyes meeting and twitchy smiles melding into throes of hysterical laughter. There was nothing particularly funny but laughter was better than tense fighting and crying.

Something about watching them laugh was contagious because Belinda found herself laughing right along with them. She finally managed to sober up enough to put the car in gear; "Okay, okay, let's get this show on the road."

"Hey Jack?" Melissa looked over at him curiously.

"Yea, Bella?"

"That song, you sang me a couple of months ago.." Melissa bit her lip, before reluctantly singing the one line of the song she knew. _"It's you and me, and all of the people.." _

Jackson smiled, reaching over to play with a stray curl that had slipped from her ponytail. "Yea, what about it?"

"Do you know the rest of it?" Melissa asked him softly.

Jackson cleared his throat and hesitantly started the song; _"What day is it? And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive. I can't keep up and I can't back down, I've been losing so much time. 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all of the people and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you." _

Belinda reached over and flicked the volume knob on the car stereo, turning the volume down as low as it could go. There was something in his voice, something that told her he was singing more for his own sake than his best friend's. The soft raspiness of his voice, the sweet intonation of the song itself sent more of a message that him just saying it outright could; _"One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right. I'm tripping on words, you've got my head spinning. I don't know where to go from here. 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to prove. And it's you and me and all of the people. And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you." _

He wasn't singing to be heard or to show Melissa the rest of the song. He was singing to send a message and if the smile on Melissa's face was any indication, that particular message had been received, processed and a reply was currently in the works; _"There's something about you now. I can't quite figure out. Everything she does is beautiful. Everything she does is right. 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all other people and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you and me and all other people with nothing to do. Nothing to prove. And it's you and me and all other people. And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you. _

His voice was barely above a raspy murmur when he finished the song. _"What day is it? And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive."_

"Jackson." Melissa barely managed, wiping away the stunned tears that had formed in her soft brown eyes. "Jesus, I've never heard you sing like that."

Belinda barely managed to control her own tears as she choked out a teary laugh. "I've never heard you sing at all. You have a fantastic voice."

Jackson blushed a few different shades of red as he murmured a soft, "Thanks."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence but Belinda could tell something had changed between the two best friends. The meaning behind the lyrics had caused a new kind of tension to form between them. The kind of tension that no chick-flick could match. The kind of tension that tugged at the heartstrings of romantics everywhere - herself included. A tension that would only be relieved by one thing, a kiss.

"Okay," She swung her car into the driveway of her house. "Here we are."

She threw the car in park, pulled the key out of the ignition and climbed out. Jackson and Melissa clambered out behind her, all three of them heading for the trunk as Patrick came out to meet them. Belinda quickly snatched up a box, grabbed the collar of her husband's t-shirt and pulled him back into the house, smiling sweetly at the best friends. "I think you two need to talk."

"She's right." Jackson laughed softly, "Just like Mom always was. We do need to talk but I hope this talk will be a little better than the last few we've had."

"What do you want to talk about?" Melissa asked him, reaching for a box of his stuff.

He grabbed her wrist to stop her and chuckled awkwardly when her eyes met his. He let her go and his eyes shot to the ground as he kicked the gravel. "Bella-"

"Jackson, what's going on?" Melissa asked him, standing up straighter and pulling her t-shirt down.

"We've been best friends for sixteen years, Bella." Jackson told her softly, "Only now I think my feelings may have changed."

"Changed?" Melissa prodded him.

"Bella, I love you." Jackson told her softly.

"I love you too, you know that." Melissa giggled, "Jack, what's going on with you?"

"Bella, sweetheart, I love you. As more than a best friend." Jackson told her softly, "Bella...Jesus...I'm in love with you, Bella. Okay? I'm in love with my best friend!"

"Oh," Melissa looked down at the ground for a second, gathering her courage before she looked up at him shyly. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm in love with you too."

"You are?" Jackson asked her, not wanting to get his hopes up.

"Dear God, yes." Melissa told him with an exasperated grin. She backed up confused when he moved toward her, "What are you doing?"

"Will you just stand still?" Jackson growled, reaching for her. His arms locked around her waist and her arms locked around his neck as he finally crashed his lips against hers.

The confusion was quickly followed by disorientation as a result of one Cody Jackson and his incredible kiss. She was pretty sure that he had managed to simultaneously stop time and tilt the Earth on it's axis just by kissing her. When they pulled away for air, she looked slightly dazed and disoriented as she moved back in and it was his turn to pull away with a confused, "What are you doing?"

"Will you just stand still?"

Oh dear God, yes. Standing still would be a pleasure. Despite the fact that as soon as her lips touched his again, his mind shut down and the Earth was no longer rotating on it's proper axis, Cody Jackson was feeling pretty proud of himself. He had finally admitted what he suspected Belinda and Melissa's father already knew.

"What does this mean?" Melissa asked him when they pulled away.

"I love you, that's what it means." Jackson grinned as he moved closer to her. "It also means that just we made out against my foster mother's car and that we watched too many episodes of Gilmore Girls over Christmas break."

"Too many?" Melissa gasped, slapping his shoulder. "Oh bite your tongue!"

"How 'bout I bite yours?" Jackson played along for the sake of seeing if this was going where he thought it was going.

"Why, Cody Jackson, I do believe that warrants a classic Lorelai Gilmore phrase." Melissa grinned slyly, "Dirty."

"Crazy Lady." Jackson shook his head.

"Yes I am and unlike Luke and Lorelai, we'll get that third kiss." Melissa smiled.

Jackson's wicked grin and the kiss that followed was the only thing that kept Melissa from taking that particular conversation any further. From a second story window, Belinda and Patrick looked down at the kissing couple with knowing grins and laughing eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh Gilmore Girls, how I love thee! Anywho, moving on from my crazy antics, yes I know the last part was heavily influenced by Gilmore Girls which wasn't my original intention but it fit, it kept the light, playful tone of the chapter going and I've been watching Gilmore Girls for like two days straight so forgive me. Honestly as I've developed her, I've given Melissa a lot of my traits. The Gilmore Girls obsession, the mutual love of the hotness that is Cody Jackson and quick wit (I also discovered through keeping most of her traits from the show that I have a lot of traits in common with her. We're both shy and easily hurt.) And mentioning Gilmore Girls, I had a rant going earlier that would have made Lorelai Gilmore proud.<strong>

**Leave me some love, Dolls. **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. Sometime after Christmas and New Years, I might start a spin-off story of "deleted scenes" from this story. I've also come up with the idea for a one-shot spinning off the idea of Jackson and Melissa watching Gilmore Girls together. Might have to write that before Christmas - sounds interesting. **


	26. Italian

_January 7, 2008_

People gawked when he walked into the school. A black backpack slung over one shoulder, robin's egg blue t-shirt peeking out from the well worn leather jacket that was pulled taut across his shoulders along with a pair of dark jeans and black converse sneakers. His blonde hair was short and some of it was spiky - she liked it like that, told him that it gave him edge. His dark blue eyes glittered in the fluorescent light and the brilliant smile that he shot her when she came into view started a flurry of whispers.

He just rolled his eyes at the whispers; Hartwell High was no different from his other school - well except for Melissa - but other than that, it had your usual cliques. He leaned down to kiss his girlfriend and curled one of her soft black ringlets around his finger, reveling in the silky smoothness of the dark strands. Melissa's hand tangled in his hair, holding him there for a few seconds before oxygen became a necessity and they were forced to part for air.

_"Lei guarda stupisce oggi, Bella." _He murmured a soft Italian phrase into her hair.

Melissa looked up at him curiously, wondering why he had reverted to a language he rarely spoke unless his father was around. Jackson hadn't said a word of Italian since his father died. Johnny's first language had been Italian and because of that, Jackson had grown up around the language and spoke it fluently.

_"Grazie. Perchè si parla italiano?" _Melissa asked him softly, looking up at him .

_"Sono fissando," _Jackson whispered in her ear.

_"Beh, è il freak e sfilata geek, guardando con stupore stupido è quello che sanno fare meglio." _Melissa giggled, tugging him closer to her.

Jackson couldn't help but chuckle at that and let the Italian roll off of his tongue without bothering to whisper this time; _"Beh, è bello sapere come ci si sente su di loro." _

"It's true," Melissa shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed his hand and led him toward homeroom. "C'mon, you've got the same schedule as me so I can show you where everything is."

They didn't care that the entire student body hadn't been able to keep their eyes off them, they just cared about the fact that for the first time in a while, they were finally together again. They were together and they hoped to keep it that way.

"So?" Melissa prodded her best friend when the final bell rang later that day and they were free to talk.

Jackson wrapped his arm around her and grumbled under his breath, "You know, me having the exact same classes as you surprisingly did nothing to stop Taylor from trying to hit on me?"

"Well how can she resist," Melissa grinned cheekily, reaching up to gently stroke his cheek. "I mean, I've been staring at this face for the past sixteen, almost seventeen years and I can barely resist."

"How do you think I feel?" Jackson pouted childishly, looking down at his best friend. "Does that not count for something?"

"Depends," Melissa giggled as they walked to their lockers.

"On what?" Jackson looked down at her confused.

"On whether or not you're going to kiss me again," Melissa told him sweetly. "And how you feel about going out with me on Friday?"

"Actually, Patrick and Belinda wanted you to come over on Friday. They want to meet you again." Jackson told her, "Patrick makes a killer chicken parmesan and Belinda makes a really good marinara sauce with angel hair pasta."

"Hmmm a hot guy inviting me over to his house for Italian food…oh my goodness me…I think I've died and gone to heaven." Melissa sighed melodramatically, before straightening up and smiling sweetly at her best friend. "Does this mean I get to hear you speak more Italian?"

"Maybe," Jackson shrugged, looking down at her with a mischievous grin. "Why do you like it?"

"Like it?" Melissa turned so that he was backing her into their lockers. "Jack, it's the sexiest thing I think I've ever heard. Aside from that totally awesome scene in Gilmore Girls when Luke speaks Spanish."

"Glad to know I rank above a fictional character," Jackson mumbled, capturing her lips with his own.

"Hmm, higher." Melissa mumbled, grabbing his t-shirt and yanking him toward her. "Much, much higher."

"Shh." Jackson shushed her, pushing her further up against the locker.

The soft gauzy material of her thin white t-shirt bunched in his fingers, pulling taut against the small of her back. Melissa giggled against his mouth when he mumbled a few expletives in Italian. He didn't speak the language very much but when we he did, he usually made it funny. She knew several expletives which had cleverly worked their way into his vocabulary.

"Jackson," Melissa giggled, pulling away to breath. "I think we better go home before those colorful Italian words turn into English and people start staring."

"Start?" Jackson grumbled, "What do you mean start? They never stopped."

Melissa giggled as they gathered their stuff and left the school. She dropped him off at his house before continuing onto her own house. While Jackson was currently in the process of getting his license, Melissa had already obtained hers and would be Jackson's ride until he had his license and a car.

Xxx

The week seemed to fly by and before Melissa knew it, Friday had arrived and she found herself wrapping her thick, damp ebony curls into a bun and blow drying them to keep their shape. Her voice was light and cheerful as she sang along with the songs she could hear over the loud hair-dryer. Once she was sure her hair was dry, she released the bun and let her black curls spill over her shoulders. She dressed in a dark blue-jean skirt, a satin-y purple camisole with soft white lace for straps and along the v-neck. A soft white cardigan, opaque black tights and shiny black ballet flats completed her look.

After waving goodbye to her father, she headed for her best friend's house. The beautiful white house was neat, clean and if the outside was any indication, the house was huge. Belinda was at the door before Melissa could even ring the door. Belinda looked amazing in a light pink wrap dress with white ballet flats.

"Melissa, you look amazing!" Belinda complimented her, "C'mon on in."

"Thanks Belinda, you look amazing too!" Melissa smiled as she stepped into the large foyer. "Wow! You have a beautiful house."

"Thank you," Belinda smiled, reaching out to take one of Melissa's curls. "How did you get curls like this?"

"I have naturally curly hair so after I wash it, I towel-dry it, put it up in a bun and blow-dry it." Melissa told her.

"You were born with naturally curly hair?" Belinda asked her softly, "I wish I was that lucky."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure. I have to make sure to dampen the bristles on my brush before I brush my hair otherwise they poof out." Melissa giggled, "I look like I have an afro. Not pretty."

"_Ora, Bella, sai che aspetoo sorpredente in qualsiasi momento!" _Jackson's fluent Italian filled the echoing space of the foyer, drawing Melissa's attention away from Belinda, who chose to remain silent and see how Melissa responded.

"You're not biased at all," Melissa drawled sarcastically, rolling her brown eyes playfully as she took in his mouth-wateringly wonderful appearance. "You look pretty incredible yourself!"

He did look incredibly delicious leaning up against the entrance to the foyer in a pair of dark jeans and a dark blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His cross remained around his neck and a tender smile lit up his face. He just shrugged casually in response and drawled; "No I'm not biased. Just speaking the truth."

"Darling, your truth is biased." Melissa giggled, walking over to him. "We've known each other for sixteen years, we're biased about each other."

"Maybe," Jackson shrugged casually, leaning to kiss her lightly. "But if I'm going to be biased about something, I can't think of anything else I'd prefer to be biased about."

"You're quite the charmer tonight," Melissa giggled sweetly.

He just laughed as he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers. Belinda smiled as she led them into the kitchen, where Patrick was stirring the marinara sauce. Jackson grabbed a glass from the cabinets and poured Melissa a glass of lemonade. He presented it to her with an over-dramatic flourish that made her giggle; "Thanks."

"How's the divorce going?" Jackson asked her softly, brushing a stray curl away from her face.

"She wants me with her," Melissa told him quietly, looking down. "She wants me to leave my Dad and live with her."

"What about you?" Jackson questioned.

"Well I'm not living with her," Melissa shook her head. "She's being ridiculous. She showed up in court half-drunk, slurring her words and stumbling around in…to be nice…she stumbled around in exotic dancer shoes. Then she had the nerve to tell me I should come live with her…and I quote, "to find out about real life."

"She's an idiot," Jackson shook his head, stealing a slice of bread from the basket by the stove. He tore it in half and gave one half to Melissa, keeping the other half for himself. "Has she shown any interest in trying to change?"

"Oh yes, she wants to change." Melissa nodded her head, "Back into some barely there outfit because she thinks she's God's gift to men, when the only man in her life is Jack Daniels."

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart." Jackson apologized tenderly. "This can't be easy."

"It'd be easier if I didn't know how she used to be." Melissa shrugged, nibbling on her bread. She swallowed thickly and blinked back the tears. "It'd be easier if I hadn't of grown up knowing how much she used to love everyone around her."

Melissa set her glass of lemonade down on the counter and turned into Jackson, burying her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and let her stay there until she was okay again. He knew that the divorce had hit Melissa hard; hell Christmas had been evidence of that. Everything that had happened in the last few months had been evidence of that.

"I'm sorry," Melissa apologized quietly when she finally pulled away.

"It's okay, honey." Belinda smiled warmly, wrapping her arm around Melissa's shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go freshen up that make-up."

Melissa nodded and let Belinda lead her to the bathroom. The large white and light blue bathroom looked fit for a queen. Melissa sat on the toilet seat with her head down while Belinda rummaged around until she found what she was looking for her with an exclamation of her triumph.

"Okay," Belinda opened a bottle of liquid eye make-up remover and dipped a Q-tip in it before making her way over to Melissa. "Look up for me, honey."

Melissa looked up at Belinda and let her fix her make-up. Belinda gently wiped away the streak of smeared mascara on Melissa's cheeks and dabbed the remaining remover away with the tissue before moving back to the counter and retrieving a tube of mascara.

"You know," Belinda kneeled in front of Melissa and put her hands on the girl's knees. "My parents got divorced too."

"They did?" Melissa asked her quietly.

"Yep," Belinda nodded, standing up and opening the tube of mascara. "I was a little bit younger but they divorced."

"I bet your mom wasn't a drinker." Melissa commented bitterly.

"Hmm no," Belinda shook her head as she gingerly brushed some mascara onto Melissa's eyelashes, being careful not to poke the girl in the eye. "But my parents weren't yours Mel. How your mother chose to end her marriage to your father was a personal choice. You don't have to forgive her but you can't let the pain of what she did make you bitter either. What she did can either make you stronger in the long run or destroy you now. _That _is your personal choice."

"Stronger?" Melissa asked her quietly.

"Often times, teens with parents who drank a lot were a lot stronger in the long run because they are determined not to be their parents," Belinda dabbed the last remaining bit of smudged make-up from Melissa's face. "There, good as new."

"Thanks."

Xxx

Dinner was other-wise uneventful. Food and conversation was passed around the table and witty banter exchanged between all of them. After her talk with Belinda in the bathroom, Melissa remained happy and cheerful for the rest of the night and promised to tell them the whole story of her parent's when the wound wasn't as fresh.

"I'm sorry about my little meltdown," Melissa told Jackson, leaning up against the cool metal of her car door. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"Don't worry about it, babe." Jackson told her softly, rubbing her upper arms with his hands. "Trust me, it's fine. It didn't make them love you any less than they already do."

"They love me?"

"Babe, Belinda loved you when she met you and Patrick, well you had him at the Austin Powers reference." Jackson chuckled, referring to her obscure reference to the famous Mike Myers' trilogy that, unless well versed on the trilogy, would have been lost on most people. "He loves Austin Powers."

"Good, then I can make all the obscure references I want." Melissa giggled softly, looking down quickly before meeting his eyes. "You're lucky, Jackson."

"Yea?" Jackson asked her, smiling tenderly when she nodded. "I think so too."

"Why do I get the feeling we're not talking about the same thing?" Melissa asked him shyly, heat flushing her cheeks a deep scarlet.

"Maybe I'm not," Jackson shrugged, leaning to kiss her. "I am incredibly lucky though."

Normally Melissa would have consented but at that point, she was too far gone to be coherent and any thoughts she may have had of what to say disappeared as soon as his lips touched hers. Far be it from her to interrupt a mind blowing kiss to tell him something he clearly already knew.

Now that she thought about it.

She was pretty lucky herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay the reason Jackson spoke Italian is because in one chapter I put in that he was part Italian, so I thought I might develop that a little more maybe have him speak Italian as sort of a code between him and Melissa - which means she also speaks Italian. Also, yes Belinda and Patrick know that Melissa's parents are going through a divorce otherwise Jackson wouldn't have brought it up but they don't know the full story. <strong>

**Translations: **

**_"Lei guarda stupisce oggi, Bella." _ (You look amazing today, Bella.)**

**_"Grazie. Perchè si parla italiano?"_ (Thanks. Why are you speaking Italian?)**

**_"Sono fissando,"_ (They're staring.)**

**_"Beh, è il freak e sfilata geek, guardando con stupore stupido è quello che sanno fare meglio."_ (Well it's the freak and geek parade, staring in stupid wonder is what they do best.)**

** _"Beh, è bello sapere come ci si sente su di loro." _(Well it's nice to know how you feel about them.)**

**"_Ora, Bella, sai che aspetoo sorpredente in qualsiasi momento!"_ (Now, Beautiful, you know you look amazing anytime!)**

**Leave me some love, Dolls! **


	27. Testimony

_January 16th, 2008_

The smell of strong liquor wafted from her mother's general direction. It was a smell that Melissa recognized with disturbing accuracy. Sandra Wu had been drinking; not that Melissa was really that surprised. Aside from having a fling with every little boy-toy that showed an interest in her, all Sandy did was drink. Although it was partially masked by the sickening sugary sweetness of her cheap perfume, Melissa knew that smell and the singed after-effects left on her taste buds everytime she smelled it. She kept her eyes planted firmly on the witness stand where she would tell her side of the story - that would be the determining factor in how this ended.

"I'll swear her in," Judge Christopher Malvoy held the bailiff off, "That won't be necessary. Melissa, if you could just take a seat, we'll begin."

Melissa nodded and carefully climbed the stairs to the witness stand before taking a seat. She refused to meet her mother's eyes despite Sandy's best attempts to make eye contact with her daughter. She turned toward the Judge, who smiled politely and began; "Just tell the truth, alright?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Good," Christopher nodded once and looked down at the file. "For the record, please state your full name."

"Melissa Adrianna-Gabrielle Wu." Melissa made sure to speak loudly and clearly.

"Now, Miss Wu, could you please tell me what you found on November fourteenth?" Christopher requested, "Starting with when you got home from school."

"I came in from school at three-forty-five like always," Melissa began, keeping her voice clear and as confident as she could manage. "I grabbed a bottle of water and started to my room to do my homework...I was half-way up the stairs...when I heard - I heard moans and screams coming from my parents room."

"Those that might be associated with sexual relations?" Christopher asked her.

"Yes," Melissa nodded, wringing her hands in her lap nervously. "I wasn't going to check it out. I was going to just turn on some music and drown it out to do my homework..but then she called a name - a name that, um, wasn't my father's."

"Whose name did she call out?"

"Julio." Melissa swallowed hard and blinked, trying to keep the tears at bay. "Julio Velasquez."

"Mister Velasquez is the former maintenance worker for your in-ground pool, correct?" Christopher asked her, taking down notes.

"Yes," Melissa nodded, barely managing to keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes. "I wanted to know what was going on...so I went up the stairs and opened the door to their room."

"What did you find Miss Wu?"

"I found," Melissa looked up, letting her eyes drift to her father, who was tearing up at hearing her side of the story. "I found my mother in bed with him."

"Miss Wu, would you like to take a break?" Christopher asked her softly.

"No," Melissa shook her head. "No, I'm okay."

"Please continue?"

"I found my mother in bed with the pool boy." Melissa exhaled and willed her hands to be still. "There were several empty liquor bottles in the room and the smell of liquor made me sick."

One of the double doors in the back of the courtroom opened and through a haze of salty tears, Melissa could make out the tall frame of her best friend. The gray suit and black shirt was familiar and his neatly combed and gelled hair made him look much older than sixteen-almost seventeen. He flashed her a tender smile as he slipped into a seat in the back, behind her father. She exhaled and blinked the tears away as her confidence returned.

"I asked her what she thought she was doing...and we, um, we got into an argument." Melissa told him, her voice clearer and more confident. "She told me to leave the room and forget that I saw it. We were fighting when my father came home."

"He found you fighting with your mother. Now was Mister Velasquez still present?" Christopher looked down at the petite Asian on the witness stand.

"Yes, he was still there." Melissa looked up at him.

Christopher Malvoy had seen a lot people on that witness stand during his time as a judge but none had ever seemed so small and frightened as Melissa Wu did at that moment. She seemed much smaller and much more child-like when she looked up at him with teary, sad brown eyes.

"What was your father's initial reaction to what he found?" He requested, breaking eye contact.

"He was angry. Very angry. He kicked my mother out of the house along with Julio. Told her that she could pick her stuff up some other time." Melissa swallowed again, the tears still ever present in her eyes and in those of her father.

"Thank you, Miss Wu." Christopher smiled at her appreciatively and dismissed her from the stand.

Melissa left the stand and went back to her father, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her head. Jackson made his way up to the table them and slipped into the front of the courtroom, moving to stand beside Melissa. Without a word spoken between them, Melissa turned and wrapped her arms around his abdomen, burying her face in his chest as he slid his arms around her and kissed her head, nuzzling his nose into her soft strawberry scented hair.

_"Hai fatto bene, tesoro." _Jackson murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. _"Hai fatto bene." _

"In the case of Mister Evan Wu versus Sandra Wu, in the matter of their daughter, Melissa, a decision has been reached." Christopher spoke with a firm authority that was not at all questionable, nor was his decision. "Upon hearing Melissa's testimony and recall of the events that transpired that day, I find you, Sandra Wu, to be a mother of the most inapt variety. By contrast, I find you, Evan Wu, to be one of the most fit fathers to ever set foot in my courtroom. Melissa shall remain in her father's care and he shall retain primary custody. Supervised visitation is granted to Sandra Wu, once a month. No alimony."

"It's over, Sweetheart." Jackson murmured as Melissa broke down against his chest. "It's over."

"I love you," Melissa sobbed into his chest.

"I love you too, baby girl." Jackson whispered, "I'm so proud of you, baby. So proud."

xxx

"I'll be in the car," Evan told Melissa softly, pulling the keys out of his pocket as they walked out of the courthouse. "Let me know if you need a ride Jackson."

"Actually," Jackson pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it up, revealing the driver's license. "I have my license. Patrick let me borrow his car and tomorrow, we're going to see about me a car."

"Well then, Mel, I'll see you at home." Evan smiled at her as he walked out to his car. "You did good today, kiddo."

"Thanks, Dad."

Jackson smiled and waited until Evan was in his car before turning back to Melissa. "He's right, you did good today, sweetheart."

"Thank you...for coming. I don't think I could have gotten through that without you." Melissa smiled up at him.

"You're welcome,"

And on the steps of the courthouse, with her drunken mother watching, Jackson leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss that spoke of everything he felt for her. He didn't care that her mother was behind them or that Evan could probably see them in his rearview mirror. All he cared about was the fact that his best friend's life was finally coming together. She was finally going to be okay again and that was all he'd asked for since this whole mess began.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter twenty-seven, brought to you by the crappiest internet connection in the history of the universe...and by Johnny Pacar's hotness ;-) Hey, a girl's gotta have some inspiration - mine just so happens to be the stockpile of pictures I have of him in my computer...but that, of course, is another matter entirely. Haha! Leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

***Insert Southern Belle Accent* "Why Sugar, I own nothin', not even that handsome fella, Johnny Pacar." **

**And that, my wonderful friends, is how a Southern chick does a disclaimer! Haha! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. Please excuse the royal suckage that is the ending, no amount of Johnny-Pacar-fangirl-drool-worthy-hotness can make up for the sad lack of inspiration I'm currently trying to overcome.**

**P.P.S. _Hai fatto bene, tesoro_** **means, 'You did good, Sweetheart' and then when he says, 'Hai fatto bene' he's reiterating it without the 'Sweetheart.'**


	28. Making Out and Asking Her Out

Melissa growled frustratedly as she looked down at the bright green flyer in her hand; staring back up at her in bold, bright blue letters was the announcement for Junior Prom. She was about to crumple it up and toss it into a nearby trash can when it was plucked out of her hand by familiar fingers. She leaned back against her locker and looked up at him as he read the flyer. Hartwell High Lions weren't known for being too terribly creative so she wasn't counting on going, nor did she want too, the more she thought about it. Okay so it was more about the fact that she was currently in one of the oddest friendships-almost a relationships in the history of relationships. They had admitted their feelings for each other but she had no idea where they actually stood with each other and the idea of prom only seemed to factor in a night of complete and utter awkwardness.

"Junior prom..."

"Big whoop." Melissa scoffed at him.

Jackson chuckled as he crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. With a cocky swagger that only he could make sexy, he easily trapped her against the locker and looked down at his best friend, who even as a junior was still quite a bit shorter than him.

"Baby," His voice was something akin to heated honey in it's raspy softness. "We've been best friends since we were born. I know you better than you know yourself. What's really going on?"

"Are we dating?" Melissa looked up at him sharply.

"Sweetheart, I thought we talked about..." Jackson trailed off, slightly confused at where exactly this was going.

"Yea, we talked about how we feel about each other and we kissed...a lot...but are we dating?" Melissa asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's a yes or no question."

"That I don't know how to answer." Jackson backed off and held his hands up in a defensive sign. "Look, baby, maybe things have gotten a little complicated between us since we admitted our feelings."

"Are we just kind of going along as best friends even though we both know we have stronger feelings than that?" Melissa asked him, uncrossing her arms and raising her eyebrows in question.

"I guess...we are." Jackson's face crumpled into what could only be described as a total loss of all cockiness he may have at one time possessed as he realized where she was going. "Oh for the love of God. We've been kissing and acting like a couple but we've never actually been on a real date."

"Not one." Melissa snickered, trying to keep the satisfied smile off of her face.

"Well gee, Bella, you don't have to get so much satisfaction out of it." Jackson quipped sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Melissa trailed off, giggling at the offended look on his face. "The look on your face when you realized what I was trying to tell you. You were all cocky and confident than you realized what I was saying and it was like all of it just disappeared."

"It did," Jackson pretended to pout just for effect. "I feel like that piece of paper. Unloved and thrown away."

"You can be such a big baby sometimes," Melissa giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her voice was barely above a murmur as he leaned down closer; "Such a baby."

"Yes, but I'm your baby." Jackson muttered, wrapping his arms around her to hold her in place. "We're going to go on a real date, believe me."

"I might need a little proof because I'm just not buying it." Melissa giggled.

"I can do that." Jackson murmured as he finally caught her lips with his, just barely teasing her before pulling away.

"You evil, evil man." Melissa grumbled playfully.

"Oh?" Jackson questioned slyly, before pressing her into the lockers and leaning down to growl in her ear. "How 'bout now?"

"Look, if I'm not breathless five minutes from now, you retain your title as an evil, evil man." Melissa murmured sweetly, her voice taking on a breathy, Marilyn Monroe-esque quality as she batted her eyelashes innocently and smiled at him so innocently he almost bought it.

"Minx," Jackson murmured, crashing his lips on hers. "Evil little minx,"

"You don't get to call me evil," Melissa breathed against his mouth as he pulled her away from the lockers in favor of wrapping his arms around her. "I'm not the one who was being a tease."

"You don't think that innocent little look you just tried on me doesn't speak of your evil?" Jackson breathed, slipping his hand between her shoulder blades as she pulled him down until she was bent slightly backwards, taking him with her.

"And to think, this whole thing started because of a junior prom flyer," Melissa giggled, tugging on his bottom lip with her teeth.

"And the whole dominatrix thing you've got going with this jacket." Jackson tugged on the hem of her tight leather jacket as he pulled away. "You ready to go?"

"Yea," Melissa turned and grabbed her backpack out of her locker before slamming the door and snapping the lock shut. "Let's go."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him as they walked down the hallway. Jackson smiled slyly as he conjured up an idea for their first date and immediately turned back and led Melissa over to the table where prom tickets were being sold. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and smiled at Daley Marin, who was in charge of selling the tickets.

"Couple's ticket?"

"Yep," Jackson handed her the right amount of money and took the ticket from her. "Thanks Daley."

"No problem," Daley smiled at him. "Good to see you again, Jackson."

"Good to see you too, Daley." Jackson smiled politely before looking down at Melissa. "So Bella, what do you say? Be my date?"

"Absolutely," Melissa couldn't help but smile up at him.

"Well Melissa Adrianna-Gabrielle Wu, we shall call this our first official date. Formal wear is required. As is your wonderful self on a night such as this one." Jackson's fake exaggeratedly British accented voice made Melissa and Daley giggle.

"Okay then, kind sir." Melissa giggled sweetly.

"Good." Jackson grinned down at his best friend. Without either one of them noticing, Daley wrote their names down on the ballots for cutest couple in the school. They were a shoe-in to win considering how fascinated the school was with their relationship.

"Hey one more thing before you leave," Daley caught them before they could get away and held up a slip of blue paper and a pen. "Is there a special song you'd like played?"

Jackson looked down at Melissa before taking the paper and pen and scribbling the name of a song before handing it back to Daley and wrapping his arm around Melissa again. "Thanks Daley,"

"No problem." Daley smiled as she watched them walk away, already too caught up in each other to hear what she was saying.

xxx

Melissa leaned her head against the cool glass of the passenger side window as she listened to Jackson's soft, husky voice meld with the radio. It was always a treat to hear him sing because he rarely ever indulged it for anyone but her and even then, she had to turn on her cutest pout to get him to do it. She had found though that driving brought out his inate need to sing along with the radio. She could feel her eyes closing as his voice lulled her into a drowsy, half-asleep state but the sharp ring of her cell-phone made her snap awake. Jackson turned down the radio and focused on the road while Melissa dug her cell phone out of her backpack.

"Hey Jor," Melissa answered without bothering to look at the caller I.D. "What's up?"

"Ian asked me to prom!" Jory screamed over the phone.

Melissa giggled at her friend's reaction, "C'mon Jor, is it really a big shock? We all knew."

"He surprised me at my locker and asked me...in his own Ian kind of way of course." Jory giggled giddily over the phone. "I saw you and Jackson buy a ticket, I take it you two are going together."

Melissa looked over at Jackson and smiled when she caught his eye; "Yea."

"Ahh! We have to go dress shopping!" Jory told her.

"Oh yea!"

"Cool, I gotta go. Me and Ian are going out for pizza." Jory told her, still giggling excitedly.

"Bye Jor," Melissa shook her head as she snapped her phone shut and dropped it back into her backpack. "Ian and Jory are finally going out."

"He ask her to the prom?" Jackson asked as he pulled out into traffic and brought the car up to the speed limit before switching positions and casually resting one wrist on the wheel and reaching for her hands with his other.

"Yep, finally." Melissa told him as she interlaced their fingers.

"You comin' to my place?" Jackson asked her as he pulled off onto their street.

"If you don't mind," Melissa smiled sweetly. "Dad's going to be working late tonight. With the divorce and custody hearings over, he's catching up on a lot of work."

"Okay," Jackson nodded as he pulled into the driveway.

Jackson and Melissa wore matching grins as they made their way into his house. Their backpacks were abandoned on the rack by the door and Jackson's arm wound around Melissa's waist again as he led her into the living room where Patrick and Belinda were watching TV. Belinda smiled as she looked up at them and noticed the grins on their faces.

"Should I be worried?" Belinda giggled.

"We're going to prom." Melissa told her, smiling up at Jackson. "As our first official date."

"Finally! I thought you were never going to ask the girl out!" Patrick grumbled, even though the grin on his face could not be contained.

"Did everyone know that we haven't been out on a real date?" Jackson grumbled looking down at Melissa.

"Babe, Abby Fujimoto knew and she hates us." Melissa laughed. "Ian was giving serious consideration into asking me out for you because he thought you were a chicken. It took Jory a week to talk him out of it."

"Remind me to thank her later. She save her date to the prom." Jackson quipped easily sobering quickly when he remembered that his dancing skills were, to be frank, nonexistent. "Bella, what are the chances you know how to dance?"

"I can hold my own, why do you ask?" Melissa asked him curiously.

"Because I can't."

* * *

><p><strong>Odd cut-off point, anyone? If I hadn't of cut it off, this thing would have become a story in and of itself. So I don't know much about proms - I was home schooled, thus no prom - but I do know that the theme of the prom determines when the prom is held - at least in this story it does so go with it! Thus, the reason this prom takes place in January. This will probably end up being at least three parts, I may have to reduce it down and included a "deleted scenes" version of it in a one-shot, not sure yet. I'm still considering a special "deleted scenes" spin-off for this. Fill in some blanks. Answer some questions - which reminds me, if you have any questions for me, than go ahead and ask me and I'll try to answer them.<strong>

**On another random note - Methinks is a word in the English language. My Dad shared that with me and I felt the need to spread that random factoid around. I always feel as if I should have a British accent when I say that...like Sherlock Holmes - then again I'm a proud Sherlockian (cheesy, much? hehe! Just kidding, I love Holmes!), so that could be just me. **

**Anywhoodles, leave me some love Dolls! (After using that so many times, I've offically deemed you, my loyal readers and reviewers, my Dolls.) **

**Love you, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. "He's here one night. I'm here every damn night. You be careful...you be careful, trained hobos" - my favorite Craig Ferguson quote thus far which leads me to believe I've watched too many clips of him on youtube...and I'm just rambling. Later!**


	29. Dancing Lessons

_~~~Two Weeks Before Prom~~~_

He was in trouble.

A lot of trouble. By trouble, he actually meant that he was completely screwed but trouble seemed to fit the situation a lot better considering what would happen to him should his girlfriend find out where his eyes were wandering. The little white camisole with the barely there lace straps and the hem that ended just above her cute belly button was just torture to him. The black track pants with the white stripe down the side just hugged her hips and her long black hair was pulled up, revealing the soft, sensual curve of her neck.

"Okay," Melissa giggled as she moved to stand in front of him and pulled him so that they were standing face to face. "So what you're going to do is wrap your right arm around my left arm so that your hand is in the middle of my back."

Jackson nodded and wrapped his arm around her so that his palm was pressed into the middle of her back, keeping his touch firm but light enough to push her into him; "Okay, what now?"

"Give me your left hand," Melissa held up her left hand, palm up and smiled as the rough warmth of his callused hand slid against her soft hand and his fingers clenched around hers as she let her left hand rest on his shoulder. "Okay, the first step, you go forward with your left foot and I go back with my right."

"What about music?" Jackson asked as she stepped back with her right and he stepped forward with his left.

"Not yet, let's learn the steps before we start the music." Melissa smiled and guided him into the next step. "That's the first step, now with your right foot, step to the side and I do the same with my left. Then bring your feet together."

"This is about to get complicated, isn't it?" Jackson asked her, looking down at his girlfriend.

"No. Shift your weight to your other foot and repeat what you just did." Melissa told him, smiling as she pulled him a little closer, forcing him to move his hand. "Once you complete the basic 'L' shape, shift your weight and do it again the opposite way, that's the basics of the waltz."

They mirrored the moves they had just done. In perfect unison with each other, Jackson stepped forward with his right and Melissa stepped back with her left. They moved to the opposite side and with a quick weight shift were beginning again. They repeated the moves a couple more times before Melissa suggested they speed up - which is where things started to go wrong. They could do just fine at a certain pace but everytime they tried to pick up the pace, Jackson stumbled and Melissa pushed him off of her.

"...Watch my freakin' foot!"

With a wounded yelp, Melissa's instincts kicked in and her hands flew to Jackson's chest, pushing him back as she yanked her toes out from under his shoe. Jackson's hands flew off of her waist as he stumbled back a few steps and his arms circled like propellors at his sides as he tried to regain his balance. Melissa grimaced in pain as she raised her foot and carefully flexed it, wiggling her toes in an effort to get the blood flowing back to the injured digits. That was the third time he had done that and that was the fourth time she had pushed him back - once had been out of pure frustration and needing to take a break.

Jackson grumbled as he righted himself and helped her regain her balance; "Well don't put it _there!" _

"_There _is where it's supposed to be." Melissa emphasized her statement with a well placed kick to his shin with the foot he had just stepped on. "It's a _waltz, _you idiot! You're moving, dance. Not standing still and looking pretty."

"Ouch!" Jackson yelped, bending down to rub his shin. He looked up at her with a pointed glare. "I am a guy, therefore I am not pretty."

"I never said you were," Melissa smiled a sugary sweet but plastic smile. "I was just giving an example of what not to do when doing the waltz."

"Ah!" Jackson gasped melodramatically. "You wound me!"

"Baby," Melissa shook her head playfully. "If anyone is wounded here it's me. At the rate we're going, I'm going to have to shrink-wrap my toes just to get them in my shoes."

"Remind me again why I agreed to this?" Jackson asked her exasperatedly, standing upright again.

"Because you asked me to the prom but you forgot that you couldn't dance. By the time this revelation dawned on you, you had already bought the ticket." Melissa informed him with a not-so-innocent smile. "Which I find incredibly hard to believe considering you're Italian."

"My Dad swore he had two left feet." Jackson stuck his tongue out at her childishly.

"What's your excuse?" Melissa quipped, putting her hands on her hips.

"My excuse is that I have no excuse, I just can't dance." Jackson grinned at her, kicking his sneakers off. "Which is why we're doing this."

"Doing what exactly?" Melissa raised her eyebrows at him. "Dancing? I wouldn't exactly call what we've been doing dancing. You're just standing there like an idiot. Yet somehow my toes are still swollen."

"It's not my fault you put your foot where I was trying to put mine." Jackson growled at her.

"My toes are swollen because of you!" Melissa cried foul, holding her foot up for him to see. "_That _is not normal!"

Jackson scrubbed his hand over his face, blinking hard against the sharp sting of sleepiness as the exhaustion of the last two hours set in. The waltzing lesson had been going on for well over two hours and he was starting to wonder why Patrick and Belinda hadn't come in and demanded their living room back. All of the furniture had been pushed back against the walls and the rug in the middle of the rug was rolled up and set off to one side.

"This isn't going well," Jackson groaned irritably.

"No kidding." Melissa sighed as she walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder; "I don't want to fight."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, "I don't want too either but if this keeps up, a fight is exactly where we're headed."

Melissa smiled into his neck as a familiar song poured through the speakers and the soft raspy voice of Jason Wade filled the room; Jackson's own husky voice melding into it with ease but still maintaining a distinctiveness and a strength that kept him from seeming as if he was just mouthing along. It was an easy beat and before they realized what they were doing, they were moving in a gentle, easy sway along with the song.

_"...'Cause it's you and me and all other people with nothing to do, nothing to lose and it's you and me and all other people and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you..." _Jackson's voice was barely audible to anyone but Melissa.

It was soft, it was easy and it was better than any waltz she could have taught him. He did know how to dance. Better than he gave himself credit for. Dancing wasn't about knowing the beat and the moves; dancing was about allowing yourself to be caught in a song and let your body decide how to move. It was about being caught in a moment and the romanticism of sharing that moment with someone else, just by moving, whether it was by doing actual dance moves or just by swaying to a familiar beat.

"Forget the waltz," Melissa sighed in contentment, "I like this better."

"Me too," Jackson murmured, kissing the top of her head. "Me too."

There was something intensely personal about it, so much so that from the doorway of the living room, Patrick and Belinda almost felt like intruders but it was impossible not to watch. The way they fit together so beautifully, the way they moved in perfect harmony with each other. They were definitely something worth watching. They didn't need to learn how to dance; they already knew how. They already moved in sync with each other naturally; there was no need for anything extra.

And by the end of the song, they're both thinking the same thing.

Why had they even bothered with the dance lesson?

xxx

_The Next Day..._

"No left, then...oh for the love of God, why are we trying to do this again?" Melissa grumbled as she poked Jackson's leg with her foot and forced him back a step. "Left, you step forward with your left and to the side with your right. 'L' shape, remember?"

"You decided to try again because you love me," Jackson offered as he stepped forward with his left only to find that Melissa wasn't moving. He jerked his foot back before he could step on hers with a mumbled exclamation of, "Jesus, Bella, _move_!"

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Melissa pulled away from him and threw her hands up in defeat. "You can't get it, I get frustrated. Maybe this was a bad idea."

"Or maybe we had the right idea, yesterday." Jackson told her exasperatedly. "Just you, me and this song. No moves. No frustration. Just me and you, the way I like it."

"What?" Melissa asked him softly, catching the last part of his sentence.

"I like it when it's just you and me and the music, baby." Jackson reiterated, "I don't need to know how to waltz to dance with you, Sweetheart. I don't care about that. I only wanted to learn to be with you. I don't need to know how to dance. As long as they play some good music at the prom, we'll be okay."

"You think?" Melissa asked him quietly.

"No," Jackson shook his head as he walked over to her and leaned his head down to rest his forehead against hers. "I know. All I need is my girl and I'll be fine. So I can't waltz like the rest of those rich weirdos, I don't care about that. All I care about is the fact that I get to go with my best friend. My best friend who I've known for sixteen years and my best friend who I've fallen in love with. If they don't like how _we _dance then they have a problem with us."

"Yea?"

"Yea." Jackson smiled as he connected their lips in a quick kiss before pulling away and holding out his hand. "Now what do you say? Dance with me?"

She slipped her hand into his and couldn't help but smile as he spun her around before pulling her closer and kissing her forehead. She rested her arms on his chest, holding his t-shirt in fists as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

_"'Cause it's you and me and all other people with nothing to do; nothing to prove." _Jackson sang softly without the radio, "We don't have anything to prove, Bella. Dancing doesn't prove anything only that we wasted three hours of our lives just to end up in the same position twice already."

"That is true." Melissa nodded her head. She smiled sweetly as she whispered,"You know, I have to say. I think I'm a lucky girl."

"Oh yea?" Jackson raised his eyebrows. "Why's that?"

"Because I have you in my life." Melissa smiled.

"Well then I must be a lucky guy." Jackson smiled back. "Because I have you in mine."

"Well then we're both very lucky," Melissa smiled as she slipped arms around his neck. "How do you suppose we celebrate this revelation?"

"This always works," Jackson mumbled before he crashed his lips against hers. "Yes, always works."

And that's exactly how Patrick and Belinda found them a few minutes later; standing in the middle of the living room floor, much too wrapped up in each other to care about anything or anyone around them. But that was okay, because if anyone understood it was Patrick and Belinda, after all they had been like that.

They still were like that.

And neither couple knew how to waltz.

* * *

><p><strong>I found the ending to be a bit funny. The reason I had them end up in the same position both times they tried to waltz is because well that's just the direction this chapter wanted to go in. This chapter is for my kryptonite, my dear friend and the reason I burst into hysterical laughter on a daily basis, TheOnceAnonymous14! She's become my twitter buddy and my dear friend - and the whole kryptonite thing is because we have a joke that if my wit were superman than she is its kryptonite because her wit challenges mine on a daily basis - and wins, let me tell you! If this chapter seems a bit redundant, I'm sorry. Anywho, leave me some love dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. Happy Valentine's Day! Mine will include twitter convos with TheOnceAnonymous14, chocolate and chick-flicks..and my favorite pajama pants because it's cold where I live! if you ask me, the whole idea of Valentine's day has been commercialized by stupid companies who want to make money off of guys who need this one day a year to reassure their women that they are loved. To those women I say, if you're so insecure in your relationship that you need some big Valentine's day ta-dah type thing to know that he loves you, that is not a healthy relationship! On the other hand, it's a good excuse for girls like me to consume massive amounts of chocolate, watch chick-flicks and swoon over hot celebrity guys I want but can never have.**

**P.P.S. I shouldn't be allowed on twitter when I'm tired. TheOnceAnonymous14 can attest to that. I cussed the crap out of DayQuil and by the way, I cuss like a sailor on crack. Just thought I'd throw that out there.**


	30. Dresses, Haircuts and Exhaustion

"So," Jory drawled, flicking through the rainbow of brightly colored dresses on the rack before she pulled out a purple one and held it up for Melissa's approval. "How's the dancing going? And what do you think?"

"We gave up on the dancing," Melissa shook her head and pointed to the layers of tulle that formed the skirt of the heavy metallic dress. "That's ten pounds of tulle. Jor, you'll be dancing. you don't want to be carrying around ten pounds of fabric. You'll be exhausted."

Jory nodded in agreement and shoved the dress back onto the rack. "Why'd you give up on the dancing?"

"We were getting frustrated with each other." Melissa shrugged her shoulders as she pulled a simple green one-shouldered dress off of the rack and held it out to Jory. "Jor, try green. You have the perfect eye color and skin tone for it."

"Okay."

"Go." Melissa pushed her friend toward the dressing rooms. "Go."

"I'm going. No need to be pushy." Jory grumbled as she disappeared into the dressing room with the green dress draped over her arm. "Pushy."

"Go." Melissa shook her head as she sat down on one of the benches outside of the dressing room to wait.

A grumble, the unmistakable sound of a zipper being pulled up and Jory protesting loudly that it wasn't the right one was what Melissa's wait consisted of and upon seeing Jory come out of the dressing room, her wait proved worth it and her jaw promptly dropped. The beautiful emerald green dress with thick ruched silk strap falling over one shoulder and the thin ruching under the bust accented the smallest part of Jory before dropping to the floor in a waterfall of dark green silk and pooling around her feet.

"You look amazing, Jor." Melissa smiled sweetly as she stood up to get a better look "A little shimmer, some gold jewelry and the right shoes, Ian won't be able to keep his eyes or hands off of you."

"Easy for you too say, you already have that in a guy." Jory grumbled before moving to stand in front of the mirror only to have her jaw drop. "Whoa!"

"I know. It's gorgeous." Melissa grinned, rubbing her thumb over the joint where Jory's shoulder met her arm. "A little shimmer right here, the right jewelry and I guarantee you, you'll blow Ian away."

The color really was gorgeous on Jory with her skin-tone and dark hazel eyes. Melissa knew Ian would go absolutely crazy over his almost-girlfriend. Jory may not have seen it but Ian Kilbauer was absolutely crazy for his best friend and there was no doubt about Jory being crazy for him.

"So now that I have one, you need one and then the hunt for shoes and accessories begins!" Jory announced in an over-dramatic accent.

"So that's where Jackson got it from." Melissa grumbled, playfully shoving her friend.

"Why I have no idea what you're talking about." Jory grinned coyly at her friend before dashing into the dressing room.

"Jory Kayleigh Twist, innocence does not work for you!" Melissa called after her friend.

"Sure it does."

"Ugh. I hate you."

"I love you too, Mel." Jory giggled from the dressing room. "Hey, think white for your dress."

"Jory, I'm going to prom, not getting married." Melissa told her with a sigh.

"So?" Jory poked her head around the curtain of the dressing room. "You have brown eyes and olive skin, white would work for you without you looking like a bride."

"Okay but I don't think it'll work." Melissa called, snatching up her purse and making her way over to the rack of white dresses.

"Don't knock it 'till you've tried it!"

Melissa rolled her eyes as she looked through the rack of white dresses before finally finding one that would work for her. She snatched the only one of that particular dress in her size off of the rack and dashed to the dressing room, nearly knocking into Jory, who was just coming out of the dressing room. Jory giggled when she saw the flash of white that disappeared behind the curtain and heard her friend rushing to undress and try her dress on.

"Told you."

"Shut your face." Melissa called from the dressing room. "I haven't got the thing on yet."

"And I bet it already looks good." Jory called teasing, draping her dress over her arm.

When Melissa stepped out of the dressing room a few minutes later in the dress, Jory's jaw promptly hit the floor. Prom would be one hell of a night with Melissa parading around in_ that _dress...

xxx

"Why do we have to do this?" Ian Kilbauer grumbled to his friend as Jackson led him into the salon followed by a very amused Patrick.

"Because I have to look good for my girlfriend and you have to look good for your...your.." Jackson stumbled before finally looking over at Ian. "What is Jory to you, man?"

"Best friend."

"You're still best friends with her?" Jackson asked, rolling his eyes when Ian nodded. "Yet, you asked her to prom?"

"You're one to talk." Ian shot back, "If it wasn't for prom, you and Melissa would have never gone on a real date."

"At least I'm not stuck in the zone." Jackson pointed out, raising his eyebrows at his friend.

"What zone?"

"The best friend zone." Patrick and Jackson chorused.

"You mean they actually have a name for that?" Ian rolled his eyes.

"Listen man, when you've watched Gilmore Girls as much as I have, you learn these things." Jackson shoved his friend. "And yes, there is a name for that. The best friend zone is not a place you want to be stuck in especially when you're in love with her."

"I'm not comfortable with this conversation or with getting my hair cut." Ian protested, throwing his hands up in a defensive posture. "Feelings are not my specialty."

"Make them, then." Jackson told him. "If you want out of the best friend zone, you're going to have talk about them sometime."

"Does it have to include a haircut?" Ian grumbled childishly, trying to inore the stylist who was waving him over.

"Yes." Jackson nodded, shoving his friend toward the chair - the salon chair that is, although with the way Ian was acting, you'd have sworn he was about to be strapped into an electric chair for execution. "Now go."

"What's next, buying her flowers? Tuxedo fitting?" Ian grumbled settling into the chair.

"No. Attitude change." Jackson grinned sarcastically at his friend, who glared. "Don't look at me like that. You're the one stuck in the zone."

"Says the guy who was in the zone forever." Ian told him as the hair stylist started her job.

A spray bottle of water, a comb, scissors and some hair clippers later, Ian's unruly blonde curls had been trimmed, clipped and combed back into a neat cut that seemed to work for him. Jackson laughed as he clapped Ian's shoulder when he finally made it out of the chair.

"And he makes it out unscathed and with his dignity in tact."

"Yea and now it's your turn." Ian smirked.

Jackson scoffed and rolled his eyes as he made his way over to the chair and let the woman do her job. As it turns out, Jackson's usually naturally dirty blonde hair was not so, well, blonde when it was cut short. The short spiky haircut he had chosen had trimmed his hair down and revealed the true dark chocolate color. His hair was now a soft, spiked mane of dark chocolate locks that worked incredibly well for the blue-eyed seventeen year old.

"Come on guys," Patrick ushered them out of the door once the haircuts had been paid for. "You two have a tuxedo fitting in fifteen minutes."

With a chorused groan, Jackson and Ian grumbled their way out to the car to prepare for two hours of tophats, tails and not-so-accidental pin pricks. So basically, two hours of hell. Prom had better be worth it...

xxx

"I hate this."

The two exhausted teenagers groaned in unison with each other, collapsing on Melissa's overstuffed caramel colored leather couch. Melissa tucked her legs underneath her, as she settled against Jackson's chest, closing her eyes in exhaustion. Jackson wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer until she was on his lap before nuzzling his face into the side of her head; "I'm not sure this is worth the trouble."

"Oh?" Melissa grinned slyly as she turned and repositioned her legs so that she was straddling him. "How 'bout I make it worth it?"

"What did you have in mind?" Jackson asked her, already knowing what she was going to do.

She buried her fingers in his hair, settling her palm on the back of his head and pulled him to her, crashing her lips against his. His hands went to her back, pulling her closer until she was tightly pressed against his chest.

"Have I mentioned that I love your haircut?" Melissa asked him breathlessly when they pulled away to breathe.

"No."

"I do." Melissa raked her fingernails against his scalp, causing his skin to erupt in goose bumps. "I love it."

He leaned his head up and caught her lips with his own, bringing her head back down as she let her hands fall to his shoulders. She let her hips move in slow, deliberate circles swallowing his hiss of pleasure as she deepened the kiss.

Oh hell yea, prom night was so worth the trouble.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I'm mean for not revealing Melissa's dress but honestly, I thought it better if I didn't. Suspense is a good thing, friends. So here's the deal, the more I write this story, the more invested in it I become and the more I want to know what happens to the characters so if this things turns into one of my longest stories ever - which is already has - just bear with me and enjoy the ride because it's gonna be a wild one!<strong>

**Leave me some love, Dolls! **

**Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove (a.k.a #TeamRobertDowneyJUNIORLove on twitter. Thanks, TheOnceAnonymous14!)**


	31. Getting Ready

In the far corner of her walk-in closet hung a black garment bag on a wooden clothes hanger. The very thought of what that garment bag contained along with the contents of the shoebox stored on the shelf above it made Melissa giggle giddily. She never thought she'd be happy to be going to prom - then again, she hadn't had very high hopes of her best friend asking her out on a real date much less to prom. Which is probably why she's grinning, despite the time-consuming chore of blow-drying her hair. Her long black hair hung in wet ringlets down her back, the cool water seeping through the thin fabric of her pink lace camisole.

"I don't know why you're blow-drying your hair." Jory commented from Melissa's bed where she was watching her friend blow-dry her long black locks.

Melissa giggled as she finished blow drying one section and moved onto another; "Because, my natural curls are frizzy."

By the time she was finished with the chore of blow-drying her hair, it was straight - as straight as naturally curly hair could be - and silky smooth. Melissa smiled as she pulled it up into a loose knot on top of her head and shoved her feet into some black Converse sneakers. She pulled Jackson's favorite gray hoodie over her head and smiled at her friend. Jory just giggled as she stood up and pulled her own jacket on before slipping her feet back into her purple hi-tops.

"Okay," Melissa disappeared into her closet and reappeared with her dress and shoebox. She set them both on the bed and moved around to gather various items. A duffel bag soon found it's way onto the bed. The black leather bag sat open on the bed while Melissa packed an over-night back.

"You're staying the night at Jackson's tonight, right?" Jory asked her as she watched Melissa gather everything.

"Yep," Melissa nodded, folding a pair of black plaid flannel pajama pants and a long sleeved gray shirt and tucking them into her bag. "I'm getting dressed over there too."

"You two do everything together," Jory laughed, watching as Melissa folded up a pair of jeans, and light blue tank top and a pink pull-over hoodie and tucked them into her bag. "What do you have planned for tomorrow?"

"Movie." Melissa told her, now digging in her closet until she found what she was looking for and a pair of brown boots were tossed into the bag. "Maybe. We don't know yet. Since Dad's gonna be gone the whole day tomorrow and I don't feel like staying home by myself, we may just stay at his house and have an Austin Powers marathon with Patrick."

"Patrick?" Jory questioned skeptically.

"Jackson's foster father." Melissa shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Mel," Jory approached the question carefully, not wanting to upset her friend. "Don't you think you're getting a little attached? I mean you don't even know if this is a permanent thing."

"Jory." Melissa looked over at her friend, "It is permanent."

"Mel, you don't know that."

"Actually I do." Melissa told her friend firmly, packing the rest of her stuff into the over-night bag.

"How?"

"Patrick and Belinda are Jackson's legal guardians." Melissa told her casually.

"But they could always give it up."

"You make it sound like he's an object, Jory." Melissa obviously took offense to that and what she said next left no room for anymore argument. "He's a person, Jory, not an object. I know that they're Jackson's legal guardians because my Dad handled the paperwork. I know that they're not going to just give it up because they care about Jackson entirely too much to just give up on him."

"Mel - "

"Just drop it, Jory." Melissa shook her head as she gathered her overnight bag, her purse with her phone and keys, her garment bag and the shoe-box containing her shoes and accessories. "I'm not in the mood to discuss this right now. I've got to go. I've got to get ready. Let's go, I'll drop you off at home."

"I'll call Ian."

"Fine."

xxx

"Hel-lo!" Melissa sing-songed as she opened the front door to her best friend's house and stepped inside as if it were her own. "Belinda, I'm he-re!"

"Mel!"

A rush of honey blonde hair and soft chocolate eyes came rushing toward her and pulled her into a make-shift hug around the bags hanging on her arms. Belinda smiled as she pulled away and took some of Melissa's stuff and led Melissa toward the stairs. Melissa smiled as she rushed up the stairs with Belinda to get ready for that night when she finally have her first real date with her best friend. Belinda's bathroom had been transformed into what could only be described as an at-home salon. Everything from make-up to hair supplies was laid out on the bathroom counter and a chair had been set up with plenty of space for Belinda to move around Melissa.

"Have a seat, dearie." Belinda's fairy-godmother voice was sweet and warm as she pointed to the chair with an exaggerated flourish. "Cinderella has to get ready for the ball."

"Why thank you, fairy-godmother." Melissa giggled as she took a seat in the chair.

Belinda smiled as she plucked a brush from the counter and started her work. The brush slid through Melissa's hair with ease and with a few more gentle strokes, Melissa's soft black hair was shiny and silky. She clipped parts of it up and set about re-curling the naturally curly hair into softer, larger curls rather than Melissa's corkscrew ringlets.

"Your hair is so pretty, Mel." Belinda smiled as she unwound a section of Melissa's hair from the large curling iron and let the strand fall over Melissa's shoulder in a large, soft, shiny curl.

"Thanks." Melissa smiled at her through the mirror.

Several minutes and many more clips later, Melissa's hair had been successfully recurled into large, soft curls that fell in just the right way but would be pulled up into a half updo later. While Melissa's hair was cooling from the severe heat of a curling iron, Belinda started on her make-up. An icy, wintry mix of sparkly white and metallic silver eyeshadow combined with black eyeliner and mascara created the perfect winter wonderland effect on Melissa's lids. A peach blush was swept along her cheekbones and a soft pink lipstick with a shimmering pink gloss downplayed the drama of Melissa's eye makeup.

"Okay," Belinda giggled giddily as she unzipped the garment back and took it off of the hanger, revealing Melissa's dress. "Oh my goodness me, dearie, that's an incredible dress!"

Melissa smiled as she stood up from the chair while Belinda left the bathroom so that she could step into her dress. The soft dress was the perfect fit and when she opened the door to let Belinda see, the gasp that escaped the blonde woman was all she needed to know she had picked the right dress.

"You look amazing, Melissa!" Belinda smiled as she opened the shoebox and whistled appreciatively at the shiny red peep-toe stilettos sitting in the box along with silver accessories. "Girl, you did good!"

Silver hoops with little silver hearts dangling from them were slipped into her ears. A silver necklace with a heart shaped lock pendant that had an intricate floral design and a matching key slid around her neck, the silver chain slinking against her collarbone and leaving the pendant resting in just the right place to accentuate her bust. A silver band with a large miky white stone set in diamond accented web shaped claws that hugged the sides of the stone, completed her accessories. She slid her feet into the heels and sat back down in the chair to let Belinda finish her updo. Her hair was swept back away from her face and pinned, and the rest of her hair was pulled to one side, falling over one shoulder. Belinda smiled as she pinned tiny white flowers into Melissa's hair, contrasting the silky jet blackness of the updo.

"Wow!" Belinda smiled as Melissa stood up and turned. "I feel like I just got you ready to get married, not go to prom."

"I'm getting nervous now."

xxx

"Nervous?" Patrick grinned from the doorway of Jackson's room where he was watching the sixteen year old fumble with the tie in his hand. "Or just can't do it."

"Nervous."

Patrick laughed as he walked over and pushed Jackson's hand out of the way. The deep red tie went perfectly with the crisp white shirt and blacker than black tuxedo. Instead of a bow-tie, as was tradition with most tuxedos, Jackson had opted for a less traditional route and had picked out a dark red tie that would off-set the crisp, clean colors of his tuxedo. His shoes had been shined to perfection; his tuxedo was wrinkle and lint free and a soft white rose was pinned to his lapel.

"You'll be fine, you've seen her all dressed up before." Patrick grinned teasingly. "You know how to dance..well sway, anyway."

"Not helping." Jackson growled, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly.

"Will you stop?" Patrick laughed, straightening Jackson's tie before stepping away. "You look like a regular Prince Charming ready to take his Cinderella to the ball."

Jackson couldn't help but smile at the thought of him and Melissa finally going on a real date - even if it was too prom and the clothes were entirely too formal for his liking. The thought of being the Prince Charming to her Cinderella made him laugh despite himself and suddenly, he felt himself hurrying to finish getting ready.

"I'm going to go check on the girls," Patrick laughed. "Go downstairs when you're ready. You don't get to see Melissa's prom dress."

"Bad luck?"

"No, but she's been keeping it a secret from Belinda all week and if I know Belinda, she won't let you see until Melissa looks absolutely perfect in it." Patrick grinned at his wife's antics. "Don't worry you get used to it."

"Absolutely perfect? Melissa already is to me." Jackson grinned as he raked a hand through his hair and started for the stairs. "I'll be by the door when Cinderella is done."

"I'll let her know." Patrick laughed as he started to the bathroom. "Is Cinderella almost ready for the ball? Prince Charming is getting more nervous by the second."

"Yes. We're on our way." Belinda called back, giggling as she turned back to Melissa. "Well Cinderella, your Prince is waiting. Shall we?"

Melissa laughed softly at the mental image of Jackson waiting downstairs in a tuxedo with a rose pinned to the lapel of his jacket. Without a second thought, she stood up and started out of the bathroom, forgetting all about her rattled nerves.

After all, Prince Charming was waiting to take his Cinderella to the ball.

* * *

><p><strong>Close but no dress reveal yet! The way I figure it, the longer Jackson has to wait, the longer you have to wait! If you want, you can guess what color you think it might be and I'll tell you if you came close but I won't be revealing the exact color until the next chapter when Jackson sees her in it, so you'll just have to wait. I know, I'm a total meanie-head! The next chapter is prom! I hope to have it up sometime this weekend! No, that fight with Jory won't be ignored, I have plans for it. No drama. Just your everyday little spat between friends. I'll probably have them apologize and forget about it. Leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. Once again, with this chapter, the thought occurred to me that I need to start a "deleted scenes" story really soon. I have a conversation between Belinda and Melissa that I had to cut!**


	32. Junior Prom

Never in his life had he witnessed anything more beautiful than the girl walking down the staircase.

That was something, of which Cody Jackson was quite certain. A vision in a beautiful white dress that swirled around her feet in a pool of soft white. The beautiful white dress accentuated her beautiful figure. With a deep V-neck that ended with a diamond studded design that seemed to pull the sides of the dress in under the bust before it dropped down to the floor in a waterfall of white fabric. Thick straps went over her shoulder, came together between her shoulder blades and dipped underneath her shoulder blades and along her ribs to meet the sides of the dress. The otherwise backless dress dipped into the small of her back with the same diamond encrusted accent that pulled the dress around her hips.

"Mel," Jackson was pleasantly surprised to feel soft flesh under his hands when he slid them just below her ribcage. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. _"Si Guarda...incredible!" _

"Thank you," Melissa smiled up at him before letting her eyes rake back down his body. The crisp, clean lines of his tuxedo accentuated every single mouthwateringly gorgeous part of his body. She giggled when she noticed that purely by accident, he had matched the rose on his lapel to the color of her dress and his tie to the color of her shoes. "We match."

"What do you mean?" Jackson asked her in confusion.

"The rose on your lapel is the same color as my dress and your tie is the same color as my shoes." Melissa pointed out before leaning up to whisper in his ear. _"Accidenti, si guarda hot! Come, James Bond!" _

"The name is Jackson...Cody Jackson." Jackson quipped easily, letting his eyes rake along her figure one more time. "You look unbelievable!"

"So you've said."

"You two better go, I think you'll find a surprise waiting for you out front." Patrick called from the top of the stairs where him and Belinda were watching them. "Have fun, kiddos!"

Jackson looked up at Patrick, who just winked at him slyly and said. "Don't worry about it, just enjoy your evening."

With a breaktaking grin at Melissa, Jackson held out his arm and murmured in the best accent he could conjure. "Well shall we?"

Melissa smiled easily as she looped her arm through his and tugged the hem of her dress up to keep from stepping on it. "We shall."

As only they could do, they bantered easily as they made their way out of the door. The long, sleek black limo that awaited them with a smiling driver that looked vaguely familiar to Melissa, but she found herself unable to focus on who it might have been. Jackson opened the door and helped Melissa into the limo with a guiding hand on her back before sliding in after her and collapsing against the slick black leather seat. Melissa smiled as she nuzzled under his arm and leaned into him.

"Have I told you how beautiful, you look tonight?" Jackson looked down at her with a tender, sweet smile.

"You might have mentioned it." Melissa kissed his cheek tenderly. "You look amazing, yourself."

xxx

A flurry of color in a winter wonderland themed gymnasium greeted them when they walked through the heavy double doors. It was a sea of prom dresses, flashy jewelry and expensive tuxedos but there was no doubt that Jackson and Melissa caught everyone's eye when they walked in. Unlike every other couple who had walked in with their arms just linked enough for people to know they were there together, Jackson and Melissa walked in with his arm around her waist and her arm around his back with part of his tuxedo jacket fisted in her hand.

"I see Taylor still hasn't the learned the meaning of tone it down." Melissa mumbled under her breath, discreetly motioning to Taylor Hagan standing behind them. "That dress is so heavily studded, I'm surprised she can even stand."

Jackson discreetly snuck a glance at Taylor, dressed in a short pink and white dress with heavy studs decorating the top part of the dress and the straps. A headband was stuck in her wiry blonde curls and the fluroescent pink bow attached was hard to miss in her wiry bleach blonde hair. The hot pink heels with the heart cut-out to form the peep toe made her look like a hot pink mess.

"She looks ridiculous!" Jackson hid his snicker in the top of Melissa's head. "And is Eric McGorrill wearing a pink tie?"

"Yep," Melissa snickered, turning her face into Jackson's shoulder to hide her giggles. "Abby Fujimoto looks ridiculous in that purple dress. It looks stiff and she honestly looks oxygen deprived."

Another discreet glance and Jackson was beginning to think his girlfriend was one of the most observant people he knew. Abby's purple dress did look ridiculously stiff and she looked just as ridiculous with the bleached streak in her dark hair. He could barely contain his laughter when he looked down at Melissa and murmured under his breath; "Some unlucky guy gets to cut her out of that thing."

Melissa giggled into his shoulder and looked up at him. "That unlucky guy is one of the football players."

Jackson pretended to gag as he whispered; "I almost feel sorry for him. That can't be an activity he's going to enjoy."

"Cutting his prom date out of her dress? No, he will not." Melissa told him softly, "I want to feel sorry for Abby but I know how hateful she is."

"Why do you want to feel sorry for her?"

"She's scarred, physically." Melissa murmured to him. "Badly scarred from a house fire when she was younger. She still suffers pain from it."

"Mel, there you are." Jory grinned from a table as she motioned them over and immediately wrapped her arms around Melissa. "I'm sorry, Mel."

"It's alright, Jor, I promise." Melissa whispered to her friend. "Don't worry about it."

"You look amazing in that dress," Jory grinned at her friend as she stepped back. "I think you might be the best dressed girl in the room."

"I agree." Jackson grinned, pressing a kiss into Melissa's hair.

An exchange of greetings and compliments went around the table with Nathan McHugh and his girlfriend, outspoken but friendly redhead, Daley Marin stopping by for a quick conversation before they were needed onstage to start organizing the awards ceremony that would happen later that night. Daley looked incredible in a one-shouldered teal dress with a rhinestone studded empire waist. The darker blue faux snake skin strappy heels complimented the metallic teal of her dress and Nathan's own dark blue tie matched perfectly.

"I forgot how friendly she can be." Melissa commented softly, turning away after Nathan and Daley disappeared into the crowd. "When she's not around Taylor, she can be a total sweetheart."

"Ian, what's with the face, man?" Jackson asked his friend slyly, "Still upset about the hair?"

"I still hate you for that." Ian snarked at his friend, glaring playfully. "I had good hair."

"You looked like a washed up surfer with long hair, Ian." Melissa told him, "And anyway, it'll grow back out."

"I'm not sure my Mom's gonna let that happen. She's seen me without it and has already threatened to hire a police escort once a month to take me to keep it this way." Ian chuckled, wrapping his arm around Jory's shoulders. "And my girl here, may just cut it off herself."

"Scared of me, Ian?" Jory looked up at him.

"Yep."

"As you should be." Jory grinned at him.

"This next song," The DJ's voice filled the auditorium. "is You and Me by Lifehouse."

Melissa couldn't help but smile as the soft strains of the familiar song poured into the gymnasium. Jackson smiled as he pulled away and held out his hand to his girlfriend. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes, you may."

Without another word between them, Jackson led Melissa out onto the dance floor. Melissa's arms slid around Jackson's shoulders while he wrapped his around her waist and pulled her tight against his body. The tight hold was comfortable and easy for them as they swayed to the familiar song. His lips just barely brushed her ear as he quietly sang along with the song; keeping it quiet enough that only she could hear him singing. It brought back memories, both good and bad, for both of them and neither could forget the moment in the car when the song had led to the admission of love between the two best friends. An admission that had transitioned them into a relationship that was easy, comfortable and a place where they both wanted to be.

"Think they'll win Cutest Couple?" Ian asked his girlfriend as they watched the couple dance.

"I think so." Jory told her boyfriend. "If they don't, they'll get ripped off."

Neither Jory and Ian were interested in any further conversation as their focus returned to the dancing couple. Jackson had twirled Melissa out and back in and both of them were laughing over their clumsy dancing but it was obvious that they weren't concerned about doing it right, they just wanted to have fun.

xxx

"Alright," Daley smiled into the microphone as she spoke loud enough to quieten down the gym full of students and get their attention. "It's time to announce the Prom King and Queen!"

Every student in the gym cheered and roared with excitement as the envelopes were brought out. Jory looked over Jackson and Melissa, absently wondering if Cutest Couple had gone to them and as she observed them, she didn't see how people could vote for anyone else. Jackson was standing behind Melissa, with one of his arms around her ribcage but his hand was in hers and Jory could just see Melissa tracing his fingers with her own and tracing random patterns on the back and palm of his hand.

"...The winner in the category of class clown goes to, Eric McGorril!" Daley yelled into the microphone, holding up the traditional purple, green and gold joker hat with three points that flopped down and had little gold bells attached to the ends.

"No surprise." Jackson murmured to Melissa, who just giggled.

"Thank you, thank you!" Eric laughed hysterically into the microphone.

"Did somebody spike his punch?" Jory giggled.

"I think so." Jackson laughed, playing with Melissa's hand. "Taylor looks ticked."

Melissa looked over at Taylor, who looked extremely embarrassed at having her "boyfriend" named "Class Clown" when really it shouldn't have been a big surprise. Anyone who knew Eric McGorrill knew that joking around and just generally having a good time made him who he was and aside from being Taylor's boyfriend, he was genuine and easy to get along with. Generally speaking, there wasn't a student in Hartwell High who didn't know Eric.

"I don't know why she's surprised by it." Ian laughed, "Eric's a clown."

"Yea, that's what makes him likable." Jory giggled.

"And the winner in the category of worst dressed female goes to our resident Barbie, only Barbie is less plastic. Taylor Hagan!" Daley couldn't help but giggle as she held up the brightly decorated gold sash with 'Worst Dressed' sewn on it in bright pink letters.

Taylor scowled and blushed profusely as her group of fake Barbies giggled and teased when she accepted the sash. Nathan was barely holding back his laughter as he handed her the sash and nearly doubled over in laughter when she tried to play it off as she walked off of the stage. There was no playing something like that off.

"Okay, and the winner in the category of best dressed female goes to someone I consider a very good friend of mine. Jory Twist, get up here!" Daley screamed into microphone.

"Jory!" Melissa screamed pushing her friend toward the stage. "You won, girl!"

"Go, babe!" Ian cheered as Jory walked up on stage to accept her tiara. "Go Jor!"

Jory was giggling and screaming in delight as she accepted her tiara and hurried back to Ian, who was waiting to congratulate her with a kiss. Daley giggled as Nathan handed the envelope with the winner for 'Cutest Couple' written on it. She already knew who the winners were and she knew that the couple who won, had made everyone jealous just by walking in the door.

"Okay, this year, we added a new poll to our awards ceremony. Cutest Couple isn't usually considered a category but this year, we made it one." Daley told them, giggling as she fumbled with the envelope impatiently but determined to finish her speech. "The winner of this category was a shoe-in, that I knew the first time I saw them together. We've decided to forgo prom king and queen because we're pretty sure these two would win."

"Daley," Nathan rolled his hands in a 'wrap it up' motion.

"And the winner of the cutest couple category is..." Daley opened the envelope and exploded into an excited scream. "Cody Jackson and Melissa Wu!"

Jackson blushed and looked down at Melissa who was blushing just as profusely. He leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss before pulling her tight against his body and guiding her to the stage. He kept his hand on the small of her back even after she pulled away to hold her dress up while she walked up the steps to the stage. A tiara was settled into Melissa's hair and a crown was settled onto Jackson's head but ever the bashful guy, he pulled it off and raked his hand through his hair with a playful shake of his head, evoking a string of laughter from the audience.

"You know, I grew up with him. He's my best friend and I can tell you that at home, he is not nearly that modest." Melissa ribbed her boyfriend, grinning at him. "He'll wear that crown for days."

Jackson stepped up to the microphone and with a smile and shake of his head, he corrected her; "No, sweetheart, you'll be wearing that tiara for days."

"Well we all know who the cute part of this couple is." Melissa joked with a playfully cocky smile.

"Yea," Jackson nodded, pointing himself and grinning wryly. "Me."

Every girl in the audience screamed in agreement to which Melissa shook her head and looked up at him in disbelief to which he responded with a casual shrug and a look of puppy-dog innocence, an act which Melissa didn't buy. There wasn't anything particularly special about the moment but when they looked at each other and laughed, it seemed to set off a ripple of 'awws' throughout the audience.

"If they do that now, what will they do if I kiss you?" Jackson whispered in Melissa's ear.

"Lose their minds." Melissa shrugged casually.

Jackson grinned mischievously as he grabbed her hips and turned her toward him. He pulled her tight against him and leaned down closer to her; "Let's give 'em something to lose their minds about."

Melissa smiled as she pulled him closer until they were in a similar position as a few days ago - Melissa bent slightly backwards with Jackson bent over her. Their lips met and as Melissa predicted, the entire eleventh grade student body just about lost their minds. Both Jackson and Melissa smiled into the kiss as everyone in the audience clapped, screamed and wolf-whistled.

"I feel like I should be saying something along the lines of 'I now present to you Mister and Missus Cody Jackson' before I say this but, the kissing couple now has to dance." Daley giggled into the microphone.

Jackson grinned as he pulled away from Melissa and leaned toward the microphone, "Actually we don't dance very well but I do have a special request of the DJ, if he'll play it."

"What is it?" The DJ called from his booth on the other end of the stage.

Jackson let go of Melissa and made his way to the DJ. A quiet conversation passed between them before the DJ chuckled and nodded, obviously agreeing to whatever Jackson had asked of him. Jackson made his way back to Melissa and winked at her as he led her off of the stage and into the spotlighted circle the audience had formed in the front of the gym, near the stage. Jackson looked up at the DJ who grinned as he leaned toward the microphone, "This one goes out to a very special lady, Miss Melissa Wu, dedicated to her by her boyfriend, Cody Jackson. Melissa, you're a very special lady and Jackson wants you to know that he's lucky to have had you in his life for seventeen years. Now he's perfectly aware that this isn't your song but he said it certainly fits. Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, 'Everything' by the incredible, Lifehouse!"

The enthralling and slightly haunting song poured through the speakers followed by the familiar raspy softness of Jason Wade's voice. They swayed along with the music and even if nobody else could hear it, Melissa could and that's all that mattered. In her ear, in a heartbreakingly tender voice, her best friend was singing along with the beautiful song. His voice brought tears to her eyes and he chuckled slightly when he had to tighten his grip to keep her from hitting the floor.

_"...'Cause you're all I want, Cause you're all I want, You're all I need, You're everything, everything. You're all I want your all I need. You're everything, everything..."_

* * *

><p><strong>DONE! Okay, so in checking to make sure the song I used at the end was released BEFORE the time this is set, I discovered something. The song 'Everything' by Lifehouse is twelve years old! It came out in 2000! I seriously didn't know that! Anyway I was going to try for three chapters before the weekend was over but I got sick over the weekend and had a very crappy Sunday. So after vegging out on the couch with "sick day" essentials and watching the Oscars at the suggest of my good friend, TheOnceAnonymous14, I was able to relax and finish this out. Leave me lots of love, Dolls.<strong>

**Love you bunches, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. Robert Downey Jr. was at the Oscars and yes, I did squeal. I almost fainted because his appearance was not mentioned or even hinted at. It was a very well kept secret - though pleasant, surprises are not appreciated, especially involving hot, sexy men such as Robert. I thought I was going to need a defibrilator (sp?) to restart my heart when they said his name. I'm obsessed, I know. Now Goodnight. **


	33. Of Prom, Sprained Ankles and Pancakes

The last song of the night, a song which nobody in the student body cared about - all of them much too enthusiastic to move on from junior prom and get on with the after-parties, poured through the speakers. The sound of Cyndi Lauper singing the rousing girls slumber party anthem, _Girls Just Want to Have Fun _filled the gymnasium and although an odd song choice, it was one Jackson knew Melissa would love. His best friend did have a taste for the odd, slightly off-kilter music of the eighties so anything by Cyndi Lauper was a must. He watched from the sidelines with Ian as Melissa and Jory linked hands and danced to the music, not caring what they looked like, content just to have fun dancing and giggling.

"I think that's the happiest she's been in a while," Jackson laughed, watching his best friend bounce around to the music.

"Let's just hope Taylor doesn't ruin it with her co-conspirator, Abby." Ian mumbled out of the corner of his mouth, clenching his teeth as he kept his jade eyes focused on the two girls sulking in the corner.

Jackson looked over at his friend confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Look in the corner." Ian mumbled again, his jade eyes never leaving the pink and purple clad sulking duo in the corner. "Furthest to your left."

Jackson looked over to his left and in the far corner of the gym, he spotted them. They clashed with each other heavily but both wore the same pout on their face. It was quite obvious who they were staring at because Taylor's pout dissolved into a sly grin when she caught Jackson and Ian's eyes. She nudged Abby and nodded toward them. As a former foster kid, Jackson's guard went up and he noticeably tensed. Every muscle in his back clenched and he looked ready to reach Melissa at a moment's notice.

"They're up to something." Jackson told him softly. "But what?"

"Taylor's probably planning something childish and petty but who knows what she could do." Ian shrugged.

"Why would she want too?"

"Taylor thought she was a shoe-in for prom queen along with a big strong football player." Ian told him as if it was obvious. "Then you and Melissa come in and prom king and queen is thrown out in favor of cutest couple. Instead of being all about her, it was about you and Melissa. That pissed her off."

"Damn." Jackson mumbled. "And now she's going to take it out on Melissa."

The next few minutes seem to go by in a flash. Neither Jackson nor Ian were quite sure how it transpired but the horrifying scream of Melissa as she fell, her ankle twisting painfully her stilettos was forever stuck in their heads on loop. Jackson reached her in a second and helped her sit up. Neither cared that the entire student body had formed a circle around them.

"It hurts," Melissa whimpered, looking up at him. "It hurts, Jack."

"I know, Bella, I know." Jackson whispered, reaching for her dress. He yanked the hem of her dress up past her ankles and winced at the angry purple bruise that was forming. Jory carefully took Melissa's shoes off and tossed them aside. "What happened?"

"She was tripped." Jory told him. "I didn't see who it was though."

"I already know who it was but that's not important right now." Jackson growled, staring at his best friend's ankle. "Let's just go home."

Jackson shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and wrapped it around Melissa, just as he had done a few years ago when they had snuck out of the birthday party of the very same blonde, he had a feeling was the reason Melissa was in the position in the first place. Once she was wrapped snugly in his jacket, he picked her up and turned to leave the gym, only pausing to let Jory give Melissa her shoes. Jory and Ian watched as Jackson rushed out of the gym to the waiting limo that Patrick had rented them for the night, with Melissa in his arms.

"She tripped me." Melissa mumbled as Jackson slid her into the limo and she slid back against the door while climbed in.

"Who, baby?" Jackson closed the door and knocked on the window that separated them from the driver. As the driver pulled the limo away from the school. "What happened?"

"Taylor. She tripped me." Melissa grimaced, clenching her teeth against the pain. "That hurts."

"We're almost there, baby." Jackson gently rubbed Melissa's ankle.

The ride seemed to the take forever and when they finally pulled to a stop, Jackson got out and with some careful maneuvering managed to lift Melissa out of the low-built car and into his arms, cradling the injured girl against his chest. She nestled into the vest he was wearing and let her eyes close as the pain subsided for a minute. He barely managed to get in the front door with her in his arms but somehow they got in the house and he got her to the couch where he could get a better look at her ankle.

"Jackson?" Belinda padded down the stairs, wondering what in the world was wrong with Melissa. "What happened?"

"She fell, sprained her ankle." Jackson told Belinda, rubbing his best friend's ankle gently.

"Okay, let's get her changed out of that dress first. Make her comfortable and then we'll put some ice on that ankle." Belinda told him. "Can you carry her up the stairs?"

"Yea," Jackson nodded, reaching down to scoop Melissa up.

"Jack," Melissa breathed, trying hard to blink away the tears in her eyes. "It hurts."

"I know, sweetheart." Jackson murmured, carrying her up the stairs. "Let's get you changed out of this dress and then we'll put some ice on it."

Once she was up the stairs, Belinda dug through Melissa's overnight bag and pulled out her pajamas. It was a careful trade off, with Belinda helping Melissa hobble into the bathroom to change instead of Jackson because of their obvious discomfort at seeing one another without clothes on. While Melissa was changing, Jackson walked into his room and kicked his shoes off, undid his tie and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows.

"Okay, here we are." Belinda smiled as she helped Melissa hobble into Jackson's room. "I figured you might want to stay with her tonight, make sure the swelling goes down."

"Holy Moly," Melissa murmured under her breath, catching Jackson's eye.

"What was that?" Belinda asked her as she helped the girl hobble over to Jackson's bed.

"Nothing." Melissa shook her head but could not hide the blush heating up her cheeks at being caught staring at her boyfriend.

"Sure." Belinda drawled sarcastically, carefully letting Melissa go so she could climb in the bed. "I'll be right back with some ice and extra pillows so you can keep it propped up."

"Okay, thanks Belinda." Melissa smiled as the blonde woman walked out of the room.

Jackson looked over at Melissa, sitting up against the headboard of his bed with a fresh, make-up free face and tousled curls in her favorite black and gray flannel pajama pants and gray Henley thermal t-shirt. She looked kind of sexy and if she hadn't of been injured, he might of taken advantage of a moment alone with her and kissed her but she was injured and he didn't want to make it worse. Belinda returned with a couple of pillows, an ice pack, a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of water for Melissa. Jackson grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and went to change while Belinda helped Melissa get comfortable.

"Night, Mel." Belinda pressed a motherly kiss into Melissa's forehead and squeezed her hand before leaving the room.

"Night Belinda." Melissa smiled.

"Night Jackson," Belinda squeezed Jackson's shoulder affectionately as she brushed past him in the doorway of his room.

"Night Belinda."

As she walked to her room, she heard the soft sound of Jackson singing and shook her head. They truly were inseparable, those two. Belinda wouldn't be at all surprised if they ended up marrying each other one day.

xxx

"Let me carry you,"

"You don't need to carry me!"

Patrick shook his head, flipping the chocolate chip pancakes as he listened to them bicker. He knew who would win this round and it would not be Melissa. Even hobbling became painful, especially when trying to descend a half-spiral staircase. It wasn't long before Melissa's shaky sigh followed by a half-whimpered admission of defeat carried into the kitchen and he heard Jackson chuckling. He was just flipping the last pancake onto the platter when Jackson came into the dining room, still in his pajamas with a pajama clad Melissa in his arms.

"I told you, you couldn't do it." Jackson laughed as he helped her into a chair.

"Shut your face." Melissa grumbled, swatting his stomach with the back of her hand.

"Okay, you two." Patrick interrupted, setting the platter down on the table. "Who's ready for chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Good Morning, everybody." Belinda padded into the dining room. She kissed her husband, ruffled Jackson's hair and hugged Melissa. "How's the ankle, little Miss?"

"Good. Numb, mostly." Melissa laughed, while Jackson fixed her a plate.

It was obvious Jackson had fixed Melissa's plate before because he knew how many pancakes, how much whipped cream and how many strawberries to put without even giving it a second thought. He set it down in front of her and kissed her head before sitting down to his own plate.

"So how was prom, before the sprained ankle?" Patrick asked them while they ate breakfast.

"We got voted cutest couple slash prom king and queen." Melisa giggled.

"That's great!" Belinda smiled, "Congratulations."

"And Mister Bigshot over here requested a special song." Melissa ribbed Jackson a little, nudging his arm.

Jackson wrapped his arm around Melissa squeezed her gently, "I needed a special song if I had to dance in front of them."

"We didn't dance." Melissa laughed, leaning into him. "We swayed."

"Either way, it was a still big night." Patrick interrupted them before it was past the point of no return. "At least until the sprained ankle part. How did you sprain your ankle anyway?"

"I was tripped." Melissa told them. "By a girl who thought it would be her big night."

"You mean she was actually childish enough to hurt you?" Belinda wrinkled her nose in obvious distaste at the idea of someone willing to hurt another person because of pure selfishness. "I can't believe that."

"I can. She's always been like that." Melissa shrugged it off. "And anyway, we were about to leave so it's not like we didn't get to enjoy most of the night before she turned selfish and stupid."

Breakfast was finished without further conversation and after some carefully maneuvering and trade-offs, both Melissa and Jackson were dressed and snuggled on the couch watching a movie. Belinda was busy with work and Patrick was working on something in his music room. Judy Garland's sweet voice filled the room as scenes from the Wizard of Oz flashed before them. Melissa's ankle was carefully propped up and Jackson's arm was wrapped protectively around her to keep firmly pressed into his stomach.

"Jackson," Melissa looked up at him with a soft smile. "I had a really good time last night."

"Me too, sweetheart." Jackson smiled as he pressed a kiss into her soft curls.

"I love you, Cody Jackson."

"I love you too, Melissa Wu."

* * *

><p><strong>So in between unpacking, moving bookshelves and dining room table with the matching chairs and listening to 'Ever, Ever After' by Carrie Underwood three bajillion times, this is what I come up with. Do I think Taylor is petty and childish enough to want to hurt Melissa for taking a crown she believed belonged to her instead of Melissa? Absolutely. Do I believe Abby would help her? Not directly but I think Abby would definitely not discourage her from doing it. Anyway, my dear friend, TheOnceAnonymous14 has been waiting for this! Here it is, darling, I do hope you like it! Leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**"Sweetheart, if I owned this or Johnny Pacar, do you really think I'd tell YOU about it? I don't own it. Not even the hot, sexy deliciousness that is Johnny Pacar."**

**That, my friends, is how a smart-ass does a disclaimer. The reason I say smart-ass is because 'sweetheart' is mocking, not affectionate. There's a different. Anywho, I'm out!**

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove (I've thought about changing it...it ain't gonna happen!) **


	34. Alice and Her Wonderland

If looks truly could kill than Melissa Wu was almost positive, she should have been six feet underground by now. Not even the warmth of her dark purple cable-knit sweater could protect her from the frosty gaze that Taylor Hagan had fixed her with every single time the opportunity presented itself. She hadn't said a word to Taylor when she limped into school that morning, clinging to Jackson in order to keep herself from falling from her weak ankle. The dark denim of her jeans hid the swelling that had barely gone down since the incident at Prom and her black converse sneakers were becoming painful as the tightly laced canvas refused to give.

"Taylor," Jackson murmured, swinging her into the lockers with one hand and holding the back of her head with his other to prevent her from hitting her head on the metal. He slid one hand to her hip and rested the other on the cold metal above her head, holding her in place. His hot breath tickled her ear as he murmured; "Ready?"

The whimper of cluelessness barely escaped her before her mouth is claimed by his. His mouth is hot, greedy and his bottom lip is soft and easily sucked into her mouth. She barely gets her teeth around his lip when his teeth bite into the already swollen, tender flesh of her full top lip. Her fingers sink into his hair and she's not really paying attention to anything but the delicious heat of his mouth and his teeth nibbling at her top lip. He shifts them slightly so that she can shift her weight to her good leg and take the pressure off of her swollen ankle. His arms slide around her waist, holding her upright until her weight is shifted and her balance has been restored.

"I think she's gone." Melissa bit into his bottom lip and fluttered her eyelashes up at him. Her thick lashes form black crescents against her high cheekbones, accentuating the olive tint of her skin perfectly. She can hear Taylor's high-pitched giggle as they jaunt down the hall-way of the school; the sharp spike of high heels click-clacking on the cold tile.

The high-pitched screech of Taylor Hagan's giggle contrasted with the rich, warm soprano of his girlfriend. Everything about Melissa was different than Taylor. The curly blackness of her silky hair contrasted Taylor's bleach blonde wiry, pin straight locks. The rich dark chocolate of Melissa's eyes was warmer and sweeter than the cold sting of Taylor's blue eyes. Melissa was slim without being Taylor's supermodel stick-thin. Her hips had a nice, soft roundness to them and her body curved beautifully.

"I love you," Jackson's mumbled phrase is barely audible to Melissa but she manages to catch it and smiles into his mouth.

"I know. I love you too."

"You let me know if Taylor tries anything today, okay?" Jackson murmured into her hair, kissing the top of her head repeatedly, relishing the soft vanilla scent that wafts into his nostrils and adds a new dimension to the thick ebony silk, his face is pressed into. "I don't want that ankle to get hurt again."

"I will." Melissa fisted his gray hoodie in the back and pressed her face into the soft fleece that was pulled taut against his chest. "Ian agreed to walk me to class?"

"Called him last night. He said he would do it until you and I have the same classes again." Jackson told her softly, keeping his eyes focused on the blonde down the hall. His cold blue eyes were flickering and dangerous; sending a clear message to the blonde that if she pulled another stunt, she'd have him to deal with, something that clearly scared her because with a shake of her wiry locks, she went back to gossiping and chatting with her girlfriends. His eyes search the hallway until he finds the guy he was looking for walking down the hall toward them. "Here he comes."

"Hey Jackson," Ian clapped his friend on the shoulder when he noticed that Jackson was unable to move because of the injured girl pressed against him. "Hey little girl, how's the ankle?"

"Still sprained." Melissa's grumble was muffled by the thick fleece her face was buried in. "And swollen."

"Okay, baby girl, we have to switch, the bell's about to ring." Jackson gently pulled Melissa off of him and pressed a tender kiss into her forehead. "You'll be alright until English, right?"

Melissa nodded her and blinked back the tears in her brown eyes as she traded the warmth of Jackson's arms for the surfboard strength of Ian's arms. She slid her arm around his shoulder and let her hand rest in the crook of his neck as he slid an arm around her abdomen to keep her upright until they got to homeroom class. The obvious height difference made the transition from Jackson to Ian hard and the travel from class to class harder still.

"Okay, let's get to our lockers." Ian and Melissa couldn't help but laugh as they awkwardly hobbled down the hall from their last class together, Algebra. Both were in torrents of hysterical laughter at how awkward and misfit they were; both knowing that Jory and Jackson were better fits for them. Their sibling-like relationship made hobbling together as if he had a protective arm around his girlfriend awkward and slightly uncomfortable. "On second thought, let's go to my locker, it's closer. Jackson'll see you. This hobbling crap isn't working well."

"Height difference, Ian."

Ian cast a sideways glance down the hall and noticed Taylor already at her locker, her blue eyes scouting the hallways for the latest gossip. He pulled Melissa's arms away from him and released his tight hold on her, grabbing part of her cable-knit sweater in the back, out of Taylor's line of sight to keep her from falling as she was forced to shift her weight to make up for her lack of a crutch. He mouthed a silent apology when she looked up at him, confusion clear in her teary gaze. He nodded toward the blue eyes watching them down the hall.

"Gossip chain. She'll start a rumor that we're cheating on Jory and Jackson." Ian mumbled, keeping his hold on Melissa out of Taylor's sight as he shifted his hand to her arm and helped her to his locker. "Damn girl, can't keep her nose in her own business. If she could, she might know that her own friends talk about her behind her back."

"How do you know that?" Melissa's ebony eyebrows shot skyward at his grumbling.

"Melody Kyle." Ian told her, glancing at her pointedly.

Everybody knew of Melody Kyle. She was the only brunette in a group full of bleach-blondes and she was also surferboy Ian's ex-girlfriend. They had dated on and off for a year before finally Taylor's gossiping ways had convinced Melody that Ian was cheating on her with Jory, who had been a friendly acquaintance at the time, and Ian broke up with her for good. Ian's friendship with Jory changed because of it and it eventually came to the point where neither were seen without each other.

"What does that conniving witch have to do with it?" Melissa asked him in confusion.

"She never could keep her trap shut. Even when it might have been better off for her in the long run. She's dating my friend, Chris, who said she's had some colorful words for her 'best friend' Taylor." Ian told her, keeping his eyes on Taylor. "According to Jory and Chris, Melody and Jordan have both turned against Taylor."

"Really?" Melissa turned her skeptical gaze to the group of giggling girls down the hall. "Never would have guessed."

"My friend is dating my ex-girlfriend, things come out." Ian shrugged, "Here comes Jackson."

"Hey Sweetheart," Jackson's soft baritone as he swept her into arms evoked a sigh of content from Melissa, who quite happily buried her face in his chest. Jackson looked up at Ian, "How'd it work out?"

"Very awkwardly." Ian laughed, ruffling Melissa's hair playfully. "The height difference was a little awkward."

Jackson chuckled as he carefully adjusted Melissa and pressed his face into her hair, kissing her head before turning his gaze back to Ian. "Thanks man,"

"No problem. I've got Spanish." Ian laughed, "Later, man. Later, injured one."

Melissa grumbled unintelligibly into Jackson's chest and resisted the urge to fling an obscene gesture at her friend. Jackson kissed her head before pulling away and smiling down at her tenderly; "Ready for English class?"

xxx

The soft strains of Nickelback's only real ballad poured out of the speakers, filling his car with soft guitar riffs and intricately plucked melodies. The grovelly rasp of Chad Kroeger is easily distinguished from Jackson's hoarse tenor but she still prefer's Jackson's voice over Chad Kroeger's. Her seat is reclined slightly in order to give her room to prop her swollen ankle up on the dashboard. The sun is just barely brushing her skin with it's golden warmth as Jackson's soft voice rolls over her like a comfortable blanket, heated by the sun.

"..I'd give it all, I'd give for us...give anything but I won't give up." His voice pours out in such a way that's almost reminiscent of the way his Dad would sing when they would go on their picnics to the park. The soft raspiness of a youthful tenor on the higher octave notes, the rich growl of a dark baritone when the notes dipped down an octave. The syrupy rasp reminded her of heated honey; a sticky warmth that clung to you and warmed you from the inside out.

His voice is lulling her into a blissfully drowsy state and by the time the song ends, she's all but asleep. The memories she's locked away of his parents, the ones so rarely allowed in the forefront of her mind, shyly creep out of their hiding place in the back of her mind. The memory blurs into a dream and her subconscious takes her back to those hot summer days spent on a picnic blanket on a hill when cherry Kool-aid stained their mouths red and chocolate ice-cream stained their clothes. The cool nights spent inside with cozy pajamas, little hands dipping in the cookie jar and clutching frosty glasses of milk. When soggy chocolate chip cookies were the preferred bed-time snack and cold milk was the preferred beverage.

When Cindy and Johnny had been alive.

Life had been oh-so-good for them, then. When Taylor Hagan was nothing but a playground nuisance who was easily ignored. The safe haven of spending those hot summer days at the park, running around with her best friend, jumping off of swings and sliding down the hot plastic slides, holding their legs up to avoid getting burned, was long gone and in it's place was the cold chill of a frosty reality. The reality where Taylor Hagan was more than just a playground nuisance but now a high-school bully and where the voice of Johnny Jackson could no longer lull them into a drowsy state or Cindy Jackson's surreal voice could convince them that a cloud was shaped like a bunny wearing a top-hat. She could no longer enjoy the comfortable trance Cindy's voice lulled her into or the convincing way in which many a fairytale was read to them.

"Jackson," Her voice is thick with drowsiness and her eyes feel heavy when she looks over at her best friend. "Do you remember when your Mom used to read to us on those picnics we would go on?"

The question seems to come out of nowhere but he knows the answer without thinking about it. "Yeah."

"Remember, reading Alice in Wonderland, how your Mom could make Wonderland and all it's odd-ball characters sound so real?" Melissa asked him softly, her eyes flickering in remembrance of that warm summer afternoon when the fairytale had come to life in her mind as Jackson's Mom read the words off of the glossy pages of a new copy of the age-old story.

"Yeah," He nodded again, wondering why she was asking him all of this now. "Sweetheart, where is all of this coming from?"

"Do you ever wish Wonderland was real?" Melissa's real question finally came out and the distance he could see lingering in her eyes, as if her mind was in some far away place finally became clear to Jackson. "You know, just fall down a rabbit hole and end up in Wonderland where no one judges, no one bullies. No one questions. Just run away from all of it."

"Sometimes, Bella."

"I do, all the time." Melissa's response seems out of the ordinary for her and he has to wonder why all of this is coming up now. Why she suddenly wishes she could run away from everything. "I wish we could run away from it all. Go somewhere where there's no Taylor, where my Mom doesn't drink. My Dad isn't a workaholic and your Dad still sings and your Mom still leaves me wondering if fairytales really do come true."

"Why now, Bella?" He can't help but ask as he pulls into his driveway.

"Your voice," Melissa tells him with a drowsy smile. "It reminded me of your Dad's. I tried not to remember but I couldn't help it. I remembered your Dad singing to us and your Mom being able to convince that the clouds were shaped like anything. Bunnies wearing top-hats and an octopus - "

"-in a bowtie." Jackson laughed at the memory. He looked over at her, already knowing why she wanted to runaway but also knowing that they couldn't do it. "I'll tell you what. You be my Alice and - "

"You be my Wonderland?" Melissa finished with a knowing smile.

"Yea."

"Deal." Melissa leaned over the center console of the car to kiss him softly.

"And one day," He twisted one of her curls around his finger and played with the silky strand as he made a promise to her. "One day we'll go mad and run away from here, get away from it all. We'll live like Alice in Wonderland. You'll still be my Alice and I'll be - "

"My Wonderland."

* * *

><p><strong>I did not base the last half of this chapter on my obsession with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I didn't because right now, I'm rather infatuated with Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd - both of which had Johnny Depp in them so it wouldn't have been very far off. TheOnceAnonymous14, who is my twitter buddy, gave me the idea during one of our twitter sprees. I told her that I had no ideas and was in need of some help. She gave me the idea of Jelissa returning to school stronger than ever despite Taylor, who would be secretly plotting something, or they run away. While my mind toyed with the latter, the former seemed much more likely so I twisted the idea of them running away into a dream. It sort of became about Alice in Wonderland when I remembered that Wonderland was an escape for Alice and it occurred to me that Jackson could be Melissa's escape or her 'Wonderland' so to speak. So out pops the whole dialogue about her being the 'Alice' to his 'Wonderland'. Anyway, enjoy and leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Thanks, TheOnceAnonymous14! You're the best! And if you think I mention her a lot, it's because I probably do and I have no shame in it. The overall goodness of my day depends on whether or not I talk to her and most of this story wouldn't have happened without her so really, mentioning her is my way of saying thanking her for kicking my ass when I get lazy with my updates. **


	35. Taylor's Warning

Cold blue eyes shot icy daggers at the back of her wiry blonde head; a strong callused hand squeezed his girlfriend's hip affectionately as he helped Melissa hobble to her locker to retrieve her Math book before Ian came and she was traded off to their mutual friend. Melissa knew that look in his eyes; he had a plan and no amount of kissing, talking and pleading could convince him that it was a bad idea. He wanted to tell Taylor off and as soon as she was safe with Ian, he intended to do just that. He didn't have to tell her about it, she had known him long enough to know what he was going to do and wasn't going to stop him. She couldn't and really didn't want too. The way Melissa saw it, it was about time someone gave Taylor Hagan what she desperately deserved and if that person just happened to be Jackson, you'd hear no more objections from Melissa.

"_Vai con Ian, tesoro." _Jackson murmured, closing her locker and turning her toward Ian in one fluid movement. "Taylor and I need to have a little chat."

"Be careful, please?" Melissa pleaded, looking up at him with those big chocolate eyes of hers that never failed to melt him.

"I will." Jackson nodded, kissing her forehead tenderly before carefully letting her go so that Ian could establish his place as her navigation assistant. "Take her to class, Ian. When you get out, go to your locker."

Ian's jade green eyes glittered mischievously as he settled his arms around Melissa. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yea." Jackson nodded, as he started toward Taylor only to turn back toward Ian and smile mischievously. "And Ian?"

"Yea, man?"

"Feel free to make a show of it." Jackson winked at his friend and girlfriend. "Give 'em something to talk about."

Ian and Melissa looked at each other and immediately burst into hysterical laughter as they made their way to Algebra class. When he was sure that Ian had Melissa in the classroom, Jackson stalked over to Taylor like a tiger stalking it's prey. The only difference was Jackson's quiet seething was much more subtle when compared to the angry teeth-gnashing, mouth-foaming anger of a hungry tiger. Her ditzy friends, who honestly, started more rumors about Taylor than anyone else, formed a circle around her.

"Get lost," Jackson growled, coming up behind Taylor. "Now. I need to have a little chat with your friend Taylor."

Without another word, her friends linked arms and clicked down the hallway in their ridiculously high heels. Taylor's blonde hair was over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist and her heel left a scuff mark on the polished tile floor of the school as she turned to face him. Her odd blue-green eyes, lined with heavy black eyeliner and pounds of glittery makeup and mascara, narrowed into tiny slits as she eyed him suspiciously. Her thickly glossed lips thinned into a narrow line when she was hit with the quick realization that he was clearly not there to socialize.

"What do you want?" Taylor's screechy voice grated on his nerves but he was going to have to deal with it if he expected to get anywhere with her.

"You and I are longover due for a little chat." Jackson seethed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"About what?" Taylor asked, batting her crusted eyelashes innocently, pretending that she didn't have a clue as to what he could be referring too.

"Oh, cut the crap, Hagan." Jackson rolled his eyes at her utter ridiculousness. "You know why I'm here."

"No. Do tell?"

"It's about my girlfriend." Jackson clenched his teeth, barely able to stand not walking away from her before her voice busted his ear-drum.

"Oh you mean that stick in the mud you took to prom? That's your pathetic excuse for a girlfriend?" Taylor's thinly arched eyebrows shot up as if the notion of Jackson dating Melissa was ridiculous. She leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially; "You must have really low standards."

"No low standards would be dating you." Jackson shot back. "And for your information, her name is Melissa."

"Melissa's a stick in the mud. It's common knowledge in this school." Taylor shrugged a bony shoulder as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Really? So that's why she won a crown that you wanted?" Jackson asked her sarcastically. "I've known Melissa since we were babies and I can tell you right now that she is not a stick in the mud by any means. Nor is she a pathetic excuse for a girlfriend. Although I can imagine, Eric probably feels that way about you."

"I broke up with him." Taylor snapped harshly.

"I'll have to congratulate him on his freedom later." Jackson chuckled dryly.

"I could do better than him anyway." Taylor shrugged carelessly, "Like you, for instance."

"I don't want you. I have a girlfriend. I can tell you right now, Melissa's hand would be leaving a mark on your face if she heard you saying that." Jackson sneered in her face.

"Then why isn't she here?" Taylor popped her gum exaggeratedly between her teeth. "Why isn't she slapping me?"

"She can barely walk." Jackson snarled, his eyes darkening to a dark, stormy blue that quickly alerted Taylor to the thunderstorm of trouble she had managed to get herself into. "Since _you _decided that it was good idea to trip her at prom all because of a stupid crown that she deserves a whole hell of a lot more than you do."

"Jackson - "

"No, _Tay-lor._" Jackson spat, her name sliding off of his tongue as if it were a poison he was trying to spit out. "You don't get to talk. I do. _I'm _the one who had to sit in the back of a limo and hold Melissa, who was barely able to move because of the pain _your _stupid stunt caused her. _I'm _the one who stayed with her the whole night to make sure her ankle stayed elevated and iced. _I'm _the one who woke up in the middle of the night to a frustrated girlfriend, in tears because she couldn't get comfortable. So no, Taylor, you don't get to talk this time. You don't get to say a damn word. You get to shut your big, stupid-ass mouth for once."

"I should have won that crown, we both know it." Taylor sneered, her eyes glittering dangerously. "Melissa did nothing to deserve a crown. She's not the school's princess, I am."

"Princess?" Jackson laughed dryly, his voice dark and thick with emotion. "Melissa doesn't have to be a princess for people to see her. They see her anyway because she's not a damn gossip. She's this school's sweetheart, which is far better title and far more fitting for Melissa, than queen or princess because she is exactly that. She's a sweetheart. She's _my _sweetheart and if you don't like it, then that's your problem. It's not mine and it's certainly not hers."

"Sweetheart?" Taylor chuckled sarcastically. "Sweetheart? When has Melissa ever been a sweetheart?"

"She's a sweetheart all the time. You just don't see it because you're too busy proving to everybody why you're the ice queen and that you don't have the heart to wake up and realize that people don't want to play your games, Taylor." Jackson told her plainly. His voice was void of any emotion because to be perfectly honest, he was starting to feel rather drained. "I don't feel sorry for you, Taylor. I hate you and that feeling is only lessened by the fact that I take pleasure in knowing that the damage you cause, the games you play with people's lives, the mess you've made of your own life, will always be right behind you, wherever you go. Stop playing games. Grow up and maybe then, you'll make some genuine friends because I can tell you right now, those idiots you call friends don't give a damn about you. And in case that isn't enough of a warning for you, here's another one. Back the hell off, Taylor."

"You have..." Her sentence trailed off as she realized that he was no longer standing in front of her but halfway down the hall. With a plan already forming in her mind, Taylor Hagan smiled to herself. "We'll see about that."

* * *

><p><strong>Uh-oh! What is Taylor up to now? I left it at that because it made a good cliff-hanger and because I was incredibly sleepy while finishing this and editing it and I told TheOnceAnonymous14 I'd finish it. I'm sorry it's not that long, but honestly it's more of a filler than it is a real chapter. I needed Jackson to tell Taylor to back off but not dedicate a whole chapter or more too it. The next chapter will put more focus on Taylor's scheme and will pick up with Jackson and Melissa. The backlash of him doing that is when the drama kicks in to high gear. Anyway, leave this Southern girl some love, Dolls, it's returned and much appreciated.<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Vai con Ian, tesoro is 'Go with Ian, sweetheart' in Italian. **


	36. Destroy

The reassuring warmth of his girlfriend's soft body pressed into his side as he kept a tight, protective arm wrapped around her and led her to her locker calmed Jackson's rattled nerves. He had no way of knowing what Taylor had planned as revenge for his little outburst about what exactly she could do with her attitude - although specifics hadn't been given as to exactly where she could stick said attitude, he figured she got the idea. It hadn't been at all reassuring when Jory had told him once school was out for the day that Taylor was pouting with her posse and they were murmuring about something. He knew she was up to something and with Melissa not yet able to walk without assistance, school was going to be hell.

_"Jackson, calmati, baby. Non vuole provare tutto qui." _Melissa murmured, rubbing his shoulders with her hand, trying to calm him down. _"Se lo fa, sarà quando uno di noi è solo." _(Jackson, calm down, baby. She won't try anything here. If she does, it'll be when one of us is alone.)

_"Lo so. Sono solo preoccupato per quello che proverò se lei riesce a prendere uno di noi da solo." _Jackson mumbled into her ear, his Italian speeding up with every word until it was rolling off of his tongue. (I know. I'm just worried about what she'll try if she does manage to catch one of us alone.)

Without warning, Melissa found herself being pressed up against the lockers, out of sight of Taylor, who was click-clacking in their direction in high-heels and a flouncy mini-skirt that left almost nothing to the imagination. On instinct, Melissa fisted the back of Jackson's shirt and kept him pressed against her. With her posse behind her, Taylor looked more ridiculous than intimidating and Melissa fought the urge to snicker into Jackson's shoulder blade.

"Jackson."

With a flick of her wrist, a wiry strand of white-blonde hair was tossed over her shoulder and eyelashes, clumped with too many layers of mascara, batted flirtatiously. Her sparkly pink glossed lips smacked together with a loud pop as she blew him a kiss and continued on down the hall. Jackson visibly relaxed and turned around so that he could hold his girlfriend again. His head dropped and his forehead rested against her collarbone as she stroked his dark hair.

"Calm down, babe. Nothing's going to happen." Her soft voice flitted into his ear, her hot breath tickling the outer shell. He was surprised to feel the plump curve of her lip pressing on that sensitive area just behind his earlobe. His fingers tightened around her hips and he moaned into her collarbone. She pressed a little harder and opened her mouth slightly, to allow her tongue access to the warm skin of his neck.

"Jackson."

"Melissa." He pushed her further into the lockers and raised his head to look into her soft chocolate eyes. "Melissa. I don't want her to hurt you."

_"Hmph!" _Melissa guffawed in disbelief as she nudged him with her sore ankle. "A little late for that don't you think."

"That's not what I mean." Jackson rocked his hips against hers slightly, pushing against her so that she was pressed against his body tighter. "I mean, I don't want her to find out about your parents and try to use it to hurt you. Which, if I know Taylor, is exactly what she'll do."

"Is she still upset about prom?"

"I think it's more than prom. I think she's upset because of us in general, not just what happened at prom." Jackson told her softly. "Since I've come here, my friends include the class president, the resident surfer and his best friend and the quarterback of the football team. Taylor's own boyfriend is the class-clown. Babe, we've taken over what she considers her school. That's pissed her off. She's pissed that a former foster kid has more friends than she does and his best friend and girlfriend is the school sweetheart while she's forever the Ice Queen."

"You think she's childish enough to be pissed off about something like that?" Melissa looked up at Jackson skeptically.

"I think she's absolutely childish enough to be pissed off about something that petty and childish." Jackson told her, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "She's Taylor Hagan. She tripped you at prom because you won a crown that she thought should have been hers."

"Damn. She _is _that childish." Melissa growled slightly. "I can't believe that collosal bi-"

"Mel." Jackson shook his head, tilting his head toward the group of giggling ditzes standing near them. "That's Taylor's gossip crew. They report what they hear back to her."

"Seriously?" Melissa raised a thin ebony eyebrow.

"Watched 'em do it." Jackson nodded his head as he backed away from her and pulled her from the lockers as Ian idled up beside her and ruffled her hair.

"Hey Lil' Sis."

"Are you gangster now, Ian?"

"Little girl," Ian wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her head down, rubbing the knuckles of his free head on her scalp vigorously, messing up her hair and making her giggle. "I am not gangster."

"Could've fooled me," Melissa pursed her lips innocently and stood up, reaching up to smooth her hair down with her free hand while she braced her other hand on Jackson's shoulder. Jackson wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted her up slightly so that her weight shift and he could pull her into him. "Jackson?"

"If you see Taylor today, you avoid contact with her. Don't even look at her." Jackson mumbled, kissing her forehead. "You stay with Ian until we have our next class together. Ian's the only thing keeping her from getting to you and even that's not a guarantee."

"Okay."

"And Melissa?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't doubt for a second that she won't try something worse than prom. Physical, mental, emotional...she'll use whatever tactic she can to hurt both of us." Jackson warned her as he shifted her over to Ian. "Bella, don't you dare let your guard down around her. Her bite really is worse than her bark."

xxx

The cafeteria was an over-abundance of eleventh and twelfth graders with the same lunchtime. Spilled beverages, various condiments and mysterious substances that the school tried to pass of as food littered the tables. Endless chattered echoed in the large cafeteria and if it hadn't of been for Melissa, Jackson might have seriously considered skipping lunch altogether, if only to avoid the noise. School cafeterias should have been considered unsanitary. Lunch from the cafeteria was made up of questionable substance, that noone was sure qualified as food. Students dropped food and never bothered to pick it up.

"This cafeteria should be considered unsanitary." Ian mumbled prodding at his food with a degree of uncertainty. "This food should be considered a biohazard."

"It isn't." Melissa sighed, munching on a Cheeto. "Why do you think I bring my own lunch?"

"You have no need for an emergency stomach pump? You have no reason for an instant vomit inducer? You don't want to stay home with food poisoning?" Ian listed off the many reasons he could think of to bring his own lunch but yet, he hadn't learned. "You don't want clogged arteries, no need for a heart-attack..."

"I don't feel the need for whatever comes out of my body as a result of eating _that _to be considered toxic waste and risk killing the whole of man-kind." Melissa retorted dryly, pointing one orange-powder covered pinkie at the mystery meat hanging limply from Ian's fork. "Although I wouldn't mind giving that to a certain blonde, if only for my own personal amusement."

"You are aware she can hear you right, she's sitting right behind you?" Jory asked her, munching on her own salty pretzel.

"Oh who cares." Melissa waved it off, dipping into her bag of Cheetos again. "Let the collosal queen of mean hear me."

Jackson couldn't help but snicker at the nickname. He buried his face in the top of Melissa's head in a failed attempt to hide the amused laughter. Lingering mirth danced in his eyes as Ian, Jory and Melissa soon joined in and were laughing right along with him. Melissa laughed as she stuck her thumb in her mouth and sucked the orange powder off of her skin. She repeated the process until her fingers were free of the cheesy powder.

"Collosal queen of mean, I'll have to remember that one, Mel!"

Sitting at the table behind them, a wiry-haired blonde scowled at the mention of her Ice Queen status. Her seafoam eyes darkened as she turned to her friends. Thick, clumped eyelashes and overly-glossed lips made every single blonde ditz at the table look exactly the same except for Melody Kyle, the only brunette of the bunch. She still bore the same thick, clumped eyelashes and overly-glossed lips but her dark hair made her stand out from the crowd.

"They're going to destroy us." Taylor informed them.

"They can't - "

"But that - "

"No - "

"They can and they will." Taylor cut them off. "Unless we destroy them first."

"There's no way we can destroy them." Melody shook her head. "Ian is friends with Chris. The blonde one and the Asian are both friends with the class president and the other one is friends with all of them. They have connections in this school. Combine that with Melissa's sweetheart status and you get the tightest-knit group in this school."

"That doesn't matter. Being the school sweetheart doesn't matter to me. I can take that from her." Taylor's smug grin made them all a little eerie. "If I can just get that loser Cody Jackson away from her."

"Cody Jackson?" Melody asked her friend; when Taylor nodded, Melody continued. "There is no way that'll happen. If he's away from her, Ian is with her. He's extremely protective of her. He won't let you near her. He's like her bodyguard. You'll never get her alone. Even if you do, she stands up for herself. She won't let you bully her."

"I don't bully. I simply give orders and refuse to take no for an answer." Taylor shook her head at her friend's stupidity.

"But that's - "

"Not important."

"Taylor -"

"How do we destroy them?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-six is complete. We're getting closer and closer to forty chapters - my longest running story to date. Of course if you're reading this than I've ended my status as a hermit, but at one time my twitter was in hibernation as was my time away from this site. Contemplating extending my status as a hermit further than just posting an update and calling it over. Thinking about just disappearing for a while. Taking a break from twitter, fanfiction and maybe even Facebook (yeah right, my Dad would be calling me nightly wondering what the hell was going on.) Leave me some love Dolls.<strong>

**Love ya. **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	37. AN: Please Read!

**Hey Loves, **

**I NEED YOUR ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY PLEASE! **

**So here's the deal, my best friend/best twitter buddy, TheOnceAnonymous14 is the genius behind a birthday card for the amazing Johnny Pacar a.k.a. Cody Jackson! Guess what? It's free to sign too! No account necessary...hell they don't even need your name! You can sign anonymously! Your personal information can remain exactly that. If you'd like to sign a card for our dear, Mister Pacar's birthday and help my dear friend get to 100 names before she sends it off on June 6th, then please visit her profile for the link! She's my best friend and I wouldn't do this if she wasn't and she's worked really hard on this project so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do this for her!**

**Leave Mister Pacar and his #1 fan some love, my dearest Dolls :) **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**Psst! So the word going around is that this girl is an amazing writer...that's the word going around but if you'd like to see for yourself. She's got some amazing stuff on her profile and she values and appreciates every name she gets for his birthday card and for every review left on her stories. **

**No hate for asking you to leave my friend some love please! **


	38. Game Over

With a tight smile and glassy eyes, Melissa pulled open her front door and immediately rushed into the waiting arms of the boy on the other side. His dark hair was wet; messy from the cold wind and rain. His dark eyes burned with tears and when his arms wrapped around her, she melted into him, burying her face in his leather clad shoulder. He tenderly stroked her hair, kissing her head repeatedly. She pulled him in out of the rain, reaching behind him to close her front door and push him against it. He pulled her against him tighter, holding her body against his tightly. She held on for a few minutes before silently taking his hand and leading him up the stairs to her room. He made himself comfortable against her headboard, legs stretched out in front of him, with his heavy boots on the floor beside her bed.

"C'mere, Bella."

She kicked off her shoes and carefully made her way over to him, still cautious of her almost healed ankle. She crawled onto the bed and straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him against her. His hands rested on her back, near her ribs. He looked up at her and smiled tenderly.

"What's wrong, Bella?" His voice was barely above a whisper; his lips brushing against her ear, a rasp of soft heat against the sensitive flesh. "Tell me, what's wrong?"

"Just tired." Melissa sighed, resting her forehead against his. "Tired of this whole thing with Taylor."

"I know." Jackson sighed softly, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Me too."

"Why does she have to be like this?" Melissa asked him, shifting her weight slightly so that she could wrap her legs around him and cross her ankles at his back. "Why is she doing this?"

"Because two best friends, who don't even rank on her little high school food chain, have taken over what she thought was hers." Jackson murmured, nuzzling his face into her neck. A trail of heated, tender kisses trailed from just behind her ear down to her collarbone. He smiled against her skin as he kissed his way down her collarbone and around to the other side of her neck. "Now she sees herself as prey and we're the predators."

"But - oh _there _- she's the..._oh..._predator." Melissa held him against her neck as he kissed, bit, licked and sucked on her sensitive flesh. "Not - _Oh God, Jackson - _us..._hmm, don't stop." _

He tilted his head and bit down slightly on her neck, soothing the spot with his tongue. "Yea, but Bella, she doesn't see it that way."

"Perhaps..._mmm, harder..._" Melissa nearly gasped for air as he continually sucked and licked at the tender flesh. "She does - _Jackson, please!_"

"Does what?" Jackson asked her, resisting the urge to smirk at her helpless, slightly desperate whimper. "Does what, Bella?"

"She does but - " Melissa gasped, unconsciously thrusting her hips. "Why would she? We didn't ask to take over the school."

"She's childish, Bella." Jackson lifted his hips slightly, pushing and rubbing against her. "Very childish and petty. She doesn't...Bella, baby, stop..._Oh god_, Bella...she doesn't see it that way."

"Perhaps not." Melissa fisted his shirt in the back, as he rolled his hips so that he rubbed against her. "Jackson!"

The talk of Taylor ceased as he continued his ministrations. The heated, sensual kisses to her neck and the roll of his hips were pushing her further and further toward the edge. A gasp caught in her throat as he pushed harder, rubbing against her.

"Jackson," Melissa pulled away from him for a moment to rest her forehead against his. "I don't want to go to school, scared of what Taylor might do. I don't like for her to have that kind of power over us. I hate her for making us feel like we have to keep our guard up all the time."

"It does suck." Jackson agreed with a slight nod. "So from now on, we don't keep our guard up constantly and whatever Taylor does, we tough it out."

"Together." Melissa nodded with a slightly.

"Now, where was I?" He bit at her neck playfully as he rolled them over and hovered on top of her. "I believe I was busy making out with my girlfriend."

"Is that what you call that?"

Shrieks of gleeful laughter as his fingers dug into her ribs, groans and gasps of white-hot pleasure as he kissed and sucked on her neck; but most of all the sound of a happy couple filled the room. When her father walked in the front door, after a long day at work, he wasn't at all surprised by what he found when he looked for his daughter. There, curled on her bed under a soft throw blanket was his daughter, curled up against her best friend's chest, sleeping peacefully with a serene, happy smile on her face and Jackson, sleeping just as peacefully with a matching smile on his face.

They were finally happy again.

Taylor couldn't touch them.

xxx

Cody Jackson and Melissa Wu were untouchable. A fact of which, Taylor Hagan had become all too aware. He was the hot foster kid with a Asian bomb-shell for a best friend. He was untouchable and by association so was Melissa. That's what pissed her off. She lived from destroying reputations but Jackson and Melissa didn't ask for the reputation they were stuck with and she had all but dropped to her knees and begged for her reputation as Ice Queen.

What pissed her off even more?

How sickeningly perfect they were for each other. It was oddly sickening to Taylor to watch them because they completed each other so damn well. She had never been in that kind of relationship. The kind where the other person isn't just your boyfriend; he's your best friend. He completes you, makes you whole in a way that you just can't be on your own. She had never had that kind of relationship and she supposed she never would.

Nathan hadn't been like that and Eric certainly hadn't been her other half.

Maybe that's where her need to destroy them so bad came from. She wanted Melissa, the girl who seemed to have everything, to know what it felt like to be without that other half. She wanted Melissa to feel incomplete. But she knew as long as Jackson was around, Melissa would always have her other half and Jackson would always around, even after everything. Their bond was too strong to be broken by petty, childish games. The same childishness had ruined all of her other relationships and would, without a doubt, ruin any future relationships.

She watches them enviously. The soft murmurs of Italian passing between them like code; tender smiles saved just for each other. Hands entwined tightly or bodies pressed tightly against each other. Having whole conversations without saying a word. Listening to him tell her he loved her over and over again. They share secrets; secrets that no one else will ever be privilege too. She's as protective of him as he is of her. It's like a web they've weaved together, trapping themselves in their own little world but keeping everyone else out. Wherever they went in life, their lives were so heavily intertwined by that web of love, of friendship, of protectiveness, that whatever happened, they would always be together.

The game is over.

She knows it.

She knew it when it started.

Despite her calculative and manipulative ways, she couldn't calculate the true strength of their bond. She can't manipulate something that's strong enough to take on the world and never break. Her game had the opposite effect. Instead of forcing them apart; driving a wedge between them, it just seemed to push them further together and she can't fight that. They had beaten at her own game. So she'll step back and watch from the sidelines. Secretly she'll wish for a relationship like theirs and in the back of her mind, she'll know that she was silly and stupid for ever thinking that they would break. The truth is painful and the reality harsh but she has to face it.

She lost.

Game over.

* * *

><p><strong>So why did Taylor back down? Simple. She finally realized that she can't win. She was cold, calculating and manipulative but the truth hurts and the truth is, their relationship could withstand anything. They've already been through the death of his parents, the divorce of hers. Jackson and Melissa are bound together pretty tightly at this point and I felt like Taylor needed to have another dimension to her character aside from the cold, manipulative Ice Queen. She wants the kind of relationship they have but she finally realized that breaking them up won't give her that. It's something she has to find on her own. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	39. A Roadtrip, A Necklace and a Hat

_"Jackson," Melissa lightly scratched his scalp with her fingernails, drawing a light shudder from the still-sleeping boy on her bed. She leaned and kissed his head, moving down to his neck and gently sucked on his pulse point. She let her fingernails drag from the top of his head to the base of his skull, before lightly scratching them along the back of his neck, watching as his shoulders shuddered again. He tried to shake her off but a hand on his bicep stilled him. "Jackson, wake up sleepy-head." _

_He groaned, quite childishly and proceeded to shove his head under the pillow, nuzzling his face into the soft purple sheet that covered her mattress. "'o 'way." _

_Melissa just laughed lightly as she pulled the pillow off of his head and leaned down to blow in his ear, lightly massaging his neck with her fingers. "C'mon, babe. You have to get up." _

_"No." _

_"Babe, if you don't get up, I'm getting a glass of ice water and pouring it on you." Melissa whispered, a delighted yet sly smile tugging at her lips. When that got no response out of him, she resorted to a new tactic. She carefully crawled on the bed and leaned down close to him, nuzzling into his hair and dragging, slow, torturous kisses along his head and neck before crawling back to his ear and sucking that sensitive part just behind his ear-lobe. "If you don't wake up, you don't get to kiss me when you finally do." _

_Without warning, his arm wrapped around her waist in a tight hold and flipped them so that he hovered on top of her, resting his weight on his arms to keep from hurting her. His blue eyes were dark with lust and still glassy with sleepy as he smirked; "Baby girl, you can't keep your hands off of me." _

_"Says the guy who's on top of me, as we speak." Melissa giggled, raising her arms above her head. _

_"You shouldn't do that to a person." Jackson groaned, "It's nothing but teasing." _

_A thin ebony eyebrow shot skyward and a sly smile lit up her face. "Oh, is it?" _

_"Yes." Jackson grinned michievously reaching up to trap both of her wrists with his hand. "Because now, I have you in the perfect position to torture you." _

_"Oh do tell?" Melissa grinned curiously, tilting her head. _

_"I have you trapped, baby girl." Jackson grinned, using his free hand to lightly trail his fingers along her ribs and near her pelvis where he knew she was ticklish, watching her squirm and fight to get her wrists out of his strong hold. He teased her again before gently lowering his weight down so that he lightly rested on top of her. Her eyes darkened and her squirming and struggling stopped. Her breathing hitched and became considerably heavier. "What's wrong, baby girl?" _

_His heady whisper in her ear made her gasp and arch into him. The hot hardness of his body against hers made her squirm in pleasure, needing to feel more of him, despite the fact that if he shifted his weight, he'd be crushing her beneath him. He pressed feather-light kisses to her neck before releasing her wrists and letting her go. He stood up before she could wrap her arms around him and keep him in place. Breathing heavily, she glared up at him. "Evil, evil man." _

_Jackson just laughed as he walked out of her room and down the stairs toward the smell of frying eggs. _

xxxx

A paper cup filled to the brim with steaming hot coffee and covered with a black plastic lid was clutched in her small hands; fingers curled around it, desperate for the heat to seep into her chilled hands. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, feet resting on the edge of the seat. Dark eyes, hidden behind the dark lenses of her sunglasses, stared out of the window of his car, watching the scenery pass by. Her black curls fell down her back freely; the soft spirals twisting together.

"Any idea where we're headed?" Her voice carried over the radio, barely drowning out the strains of Chris Daughtry's vocals belting out one of his favorite songs, _Home. _

"Not a clue." Jackson shook his head before turning to look at her. "You okay?"

"Just thinking." Melissa shook her head, staring intently at the cup cradled in her hand.

Jackson knew her well enough to know when something was on her mind and reached over to turn the radio down; "Spill, baby girl."

"Mom called..last night. When we were sleeping." Melissa told him, resting her head on her knees. "Dad told me this morning."

"Oh."

"She wants me to visit with her. She's willing to do it on my terms." Melissa explained, lifting her head to look at him before dropping her into the V of her knees. "Meet wherever I want. I don't trust her though. My biggest problem with her is trust."

"That's understandable." Jackson nodded, turning to look at her once more.

"She keeps insisting that she's changed." Melissa murmured, setting her cup down in the drink-holder in the center console. "She keeps saying that she got help..went to rehab or whatever. She stopped dating every guy in town but I can't believe that."

Jackson flicked his turn signal on, turning onto a new street before sparing a glance at her. He sighed as he reached for her hand, "Sweetheart, I can't tell you what to do because honestly...I don't know what to do. It's up to you. If you want to see her, that's your right. If not, well nobody's blaming you."

She lowered her feet and tugged his hand closer, tracing random patterns on the warmth of his palm. "She's my Mom."

"Yeah."

"I can't." Melissa shook her head, clutching his hand as if her life depended on it. "She's my Mom. I love her but...not now. I'm finally okay again. I can't..I can't let her play games with me again. She did it to me once but not again. I can't go through that again."

"That's your choice, babe." Jackson nodded, squeezing her hand affectionately.

"I'm scared, though, Jackson." Melissa admitted hesitantly.

"Why, baby girl?" Jackson asked her confused.

"I don't want to end up like her." Melissa admitted, even though she knew the very idea was ridiculous.

"Sweetheart," Jackson hesitated as if gathering his thoughts before speaking again. "Sweetheart, biologically she's your mother. You can't erase or change that. But what you can change is the person her actions shape you into."

"I know."

"You are the most selfless, sweet person I know." Jackson smiled over at her. "Baby girl, you are nothing like your mother. You are much too big-hearted to ever become someone like her."

"I'm still afraid." Melissa admitted softly.

"I know, sweetheart and that's okay." Jackson nodded in understanding, slowing the car down and pulled into an available parking spot next to a vintage store, shoving the car into park. "Nothing's going to change between us...whatever you decide with your mother...nothing's going to change us."

"I needed to hear that." Melissa smiled.

"And you need to hear this," Jackson reached over and slid two fingers under her chin, tipping her head up to look at him. "You aren't your mother, sweetheart. Don't be so scared, Bella."

With that said, they got out of the car and out of pure curiosity went into the vintage store. Vintage paintings covered the walls, jewelry filled display cases and vintage hats hung from racks. Random, one-of-a-kind items filled shelf after shelf and a floor to ceiling bookshelf was overflowing with first edition books. Jackson let Melissa lead him through the store, watching as her eyes lit up at the sight of some of the vintage items.

"Look," Melissa pointed to a necklace in the display case. "So pretty."

The small black oval shaped pendant with a vine of tiny rosettes on the edge, was the background to a pure white silhouette of a woman with curly hair, in an up-do of some sort, and a pretty smile gracing her face. The bauble hung from a thick chain, darkened with age and obviously very delicate was elegant, simple and beautiful - a perfect example of Melissa. The woman running the vintage shop was kind enough to remove the necklace from the display case. Without even saying a word, Jackson pulled his wallet out and handed the woman enough money to cover the necklace much to the shock of Melissa.

"Jackson, you didn't have to do that." Melissa slapped his arm playfully.

"You think I didn't see the way you were practically drooling over it?" Jackson teased her playfully before kissing her head. "And anyway it's you. Beautiful."

Melissa leaned up to kiss his cheek, "Thank you. But now I have to find you something."

"Bella, don't worry about it."

"Shush." Melissa smiled as she scanned the store before prancing off to one of three hat-racks in the store. He couldn't see what she picked out but she returned to him with a brown paper gift bag. He thanked the woman for wrapping his purchase as he took the small cream-colored velvet box from her and led Melissa out of the store.

She reached into the back and pulled out a fedora. It was a simple fedora, sewn out of dark gray wool with thin white pin-stripes and a black silk band that tied in a flat bow on one side. She smiled as she reached up and plopped it on his head before standing back to admire her work. She tilted her head as if something was missing before reaching up and pulling the brim down slightly, tilting the hat toward his face so that it cast a sexy shadow over his eyes.

"Hmm. Very sexy there, Mister Bond." Melissa smiled slyly.

He removed the necklace from the box and handed the box to Melissa, who turned and pulled her hair out of her way. He secured the necklace around her neck before pulling her hair back into place and turning her around to look; "Very beautiful, Bond girl."

"I feel the need to kiss you now." Melissa smiled, moving closer to him.

"After that wake-up call this morning, you better." Jackson growled, reaching for her hips before realizing where they were and pulling away. "Not here though."

Melissa leaned up and kissed him quickly before bolting to the car and leaning against the door, out of sight from anyone who might have been watching. His hands slammed down on the car behind her and his lips crashed against hers in a bruising kiss. He was quick to press himself against her, groaning at the warm softness of her body pressed against his own hot, hard muscular frame. The kiss was explosive despite having shared several other kisses with her; there was nothing like kissing when you knew you could be caught.

"Let's go home." Melissa breathed when they pulled back. "Before I feel the need to kiss you again and we end up here for a while."

Jackson just chuckled and kissed her forehead before unlocking the car. He was relieved to see how much more open and playful she was, singing along to every song on the radio as they drove home. Her mother was obviously the furthest thing from her mind. By the time they arrived home, she was back to her care-free, laughing self and Jackson couldn't have been happier.

"I love you, Jack."

"Love you too, Bella."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay honestly, after sixteen hours, I'm sick of this thing so take it or leave it, I don't freaking care! I'm tired. I'm ready for bed and I'm ready to forget this whole damn week happened! An over-abundance of health issues in my family, a very grumpy family member and a very, very, very frustrated me. So leave me some love, Dolls, or actually, leave whatever the hell you want but if you flame me, I'll go Sweeney Todd on you.<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. If you don't get the reference...look it up. I don't feel like explaining it.**


	40. Painting Serenity

Serenity.

That's what he sees in her right now. Perched atop a stool, earbuds in her ears, iPod shoved in her pocket and a paintbrush in her hand. It twirls and flicks against the canvas on the easel, effortless gliding and smearing color, bringing a vivid life to the clean, off-white slate. Her black curls are piled in a messy knot on the top of her head, her feet swing restlessly and she mouths the words to the song while she paints. Her jeans are smeared with paint and stained from too many knocked over cups of dirty paintbrush water. Her tank top is gray, paint splattered and loose fitting from too many washes. Whatever she's painting has drawn her in completely because she doesn't notice him in the doorway.

A dip in the cup of water on the stool between her legs and a quick swipe of the brush over the paint-stained and glitter-splashed canvas apron slung over her knee gives her the clean paintbrush she needs to switch colors. From the doorway, he can tell that it's a vivid orange, bright and bursting with life. A color that is so uniquely Melissa, yet doesn't seem to fit her at all. She's so calm and serene while she's painting that he can't seem to think of any color but a pale blue. A soft natural pastel that induces a serene, almost dream-like state. Kind of like what he sees in her now.

The carpet of her room is soft and plush under his feet as he silently makes his way too her and stands behind her, peeking over her shoulder. He gently tugs an ear-bud from her ear and kisses her cheek as his arms slide around her stomach. She smiles and turns to kiss his cheek; "Hi, honey."

"Hey Sweetheart," Jackson murmured, kissing her cheek before turning his eyes back to her painting. "It's beautiful!"

On the canvas, she had brought to life one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen. Emerald grass, thick and beautiful, contrasted with the bright pinks, soft blues, dark purples and vivid yellows of the flowers. Trees with thick, leafy green tops stood tall. A blue-green pond of sparkling iridescence stood out against the grass. A tall, pink flamingo perched on one thin leg dipped it's head into the water. A soft blue sky created the perfect backdrop for the golden-yellow sun. Sunflowers stood tall and proud, vivid yellow petals pointed toward the sky. A cherry blossom tree, luscious and velvety with its sweet blossoms, dripped pink petals onto a bed of green grass.

"I was reading _Peter Pan _earlier. It inspired me." Melissa smiled, a few skilled flicks of her wrist adding her signature shimmering _M _to the corner of the page.

He smiled into her hair and kissed the top of her head, "It's beautiful, sweetheart."

She dipped the paintbrush into the water, swiped it on the apron and dropped it into the can of paintbrushes on the floor by her easel. She kissed his cheek one more time before standing up and moving into her bathroom. She dropped the apron into the laundry basket, the palette into a small bucket of water to soak the multiple layers of paint off of it before she used it again and shrugged into a long-sleeve button-down that he was positive was his.

"That's my shirt, thief." Jackson laughed, reaching for his girlfriend.

"It's a comfy shirt." Melissa shrugged innocently, reaching up to tug the elastic from her hair, letting it fall in wild kinks and curls down her back. "Do you want it back."

"Actually," He tugged her closer to and threaded his fingers in her hair. "I think it looks better on you than it does on me. Keep it."

"I planned on it."

Jackson shook his head as he brushed his lips against hers, revelling in the soft velvety feel of her full lips. The taste of watermelon lip-gloss lingered, mouth-watering and delicious as it danced it across his tastebuds. The smell of apples and flowers and cool autumn days intermingled with the smell of acrylic paint. Soft cotton shirts; smooth silky warmth and ebony satin slipping between his fingers. She felt and smelled so good. He's surrounded by her smell, drawn in by her taste and enraptured by the way she feels against him.

He's soft but demanding. Wanting more.

Needing more.

"Oxygen," Melissa pants pulling away slightly. "Need to breathe."

His hands slip up under her shirt, needing to feel more of that silkiness, smooth and warm, beneath his hand. His breathing is heavy; his lungs taking every bit of oxygen they can get. Their lips are swollen but despite that, the need for more is still apparent. Her arms are wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close to her. He's hot and hard; encased in soft cotton and rough denim. He smells deliciously fresh and spicy. The taste of coffee lingers, mixing with his toothpaste. His arms move down to her waist, hoisting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, keeping her hands on his shoulders. He kept one arm around her waist and buried the other hand in her hair.

"iPod," Melissa giggled, letting her right leg drop from his waist to retrieve her iPod from her pocket and yank the other earbud from her ear, tossing it onto her bed. "Can't break that thing."

Jackson chuckled as he leaned his forehead against hers and pressed her into the wall; "Have you decided what you want to call that painting?"

"No." Melissa shook her head, wrapping one arm around his neck. "I haven't got a clue."

"I do."

"Oh?" Melissa smiled, pressing kisses from the bridge of his nose down underneath his eye and up toward his forehead. "Do tell?"

He smiled and leaned down, nuzzling his face against her neck as he murmured the name; "Serenity."

"Serenity," Melissa repeated, smiling as her eyes caught sight of the painting. "I like it. Why'd you pick that?"

"Because I watch you paint and it's like you go to a different place." Jackson commented, looking up at her. "You relax completely. It's like you get lost in your own little world. You listen to music and get caught up in the colors and what they can create."

"After Mom left, you were in the foster home across town and Dad was always working. I needed an outlet." Melissa explained quietly. "Dad would come home to find the radio on and watercolors spread out on the kitchen table. So eventually he bought me a few acrylics, some paintbrushes and canvases. Told me to experiment with it and if I liked it, he'd buy some more."

"Mel - "

"When I painted, Mom leaving didn't hurt so much." Melissa shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "And I could deal with missing you better than before."

"I'm sorry." Jackson murmured.

"Don't be, Jackson." Melissa smiled at him, "Painting is like my music. The way you use music, I use art. I don't have think about anything. I just focus on what I'm doing and I'm okay for a while. It doesn't hurt to know that my Mom left and I don't miss you anymore now that you have Patrick and Belinda."

"You're amazing," Jackson breathed, kissing her collarbone before looking up at her. "You know that? You're completely amazing."

"Well I think you're pretty amazing yourself, handsome." Melissa smiled, brushing her lips against his lightly. "Don't feel sorry for me, Jackson. I'm okay now. I dealt with my Mom leaving and I dealt with missing you. Everything's okay now."

"I know." Jackson nodded. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"I've always known," Melissa trailed her finger down his nose, tapping it lightly. "You're not a mystery to me, honey."

Jackson laughed as he let her down and kissed the top of her head. "I know."

"I love you too, by the way."

* * *

><p><strong>I wrote this chapter out of a desperate need to get this done and a need to show how truly over all of the drama is with this story. That's not to say it'll be smooth sailing from here on out, but the drama with Melissa's Mom and with Taylor is over for a while. Leave me some love, Dolls.<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. So I have this friend, a really good friend. My BEST friend, really. Her username is TheOnceAnonymous14 and the word on the street is she's really great writer. Now I know this but I don't know if you do, so do me a favor and check her out because I want to prove to her that she is a great writer :) **

**P.P.S. And to the "guest" who left a nice little flame on her story, if you do that again, I will find a way for her to report you because bless your heart but you are an idiot! **


	41. Easels, Paintbrushes and Promise Rings

A stiff rigger brush flicked easily against the canvas, creating smooth fluid petals of wild flowers. She dipped the tip of the orange bristles into the slightly garish purple paint and continued her work, humming happily to herself as she flicked and twirled the paintbrush to create her latest painting. The dark wooden easel stood on shaky legs, having endured years of use by both Melissa and her mother, who had been quite the artist herself. The dark stained oak legs were weak and one wrong could send it toppling over. She just hoped that the large canvas wasn't too much weight for the poor dilapidated easel. She used her finger to smudge the purple, creating a fading effect toward the center of the flower, fading it into a crisp white center. She grabbed the spray bottle of water behind her and without realizing her ankle caught the leg of the easel.

It was too late to catch herself because the easel was already toppling over and it was clearly hell-bent on taking her with it. So without any other choice in the matter, Melissa hit the floor, canvas and easel landing on top of her. A loud clatter, a breathless _"oomph"_, several choice curse words and a broken easel brought an end to the whole debacle and for Melissa, brought an end to her painting for the day. Still mumbling a rather long and tedious string of choice words that would have made even the most seasoned of sailors blush, Melissa shoved the canvas and easel off of her and stood up.

"Mel?" Evan questioned, busting through the door of his daughter's bedroom. A quick scan of the scene - a paint spattered Melissa, a broken easel and destroyed canvas - quickly let him know what happened and upon seeing Melissa, he promptly burst into hysterical laughter. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Melissa rolled her eyes, "Just caught my foot in this stupid easel and it fell."

"No kidding." Evan laughed, walking over to the mess of wood and canvas on the floor. He carefully picked up the easel and tossed onto Melissa's bed. He lifted one corner of the canvas and carefully peeled it off of her purple carpet. Brightly colored paint was smeared on the purple carpet - even the purple was visible as it dried in clumps on the carpet. "Well that's going to be difficult."

"Yeah. Sorry. Didn't know the thing would fall today of all days." Melissa shrugged apologetically.

"Don't worry about it." Evan brushed it off, "I'll go get some carpet cleaner. Then I'll stop by the art supply store. Pick up a new easel and a new canvas. What size was that one?"

"Sixteen by twenty." Melissa told him.

"Okay." Evan nodded, tossing the canvas on top of the broken easel. "Leave that there for now. When I get back, I'll throw it away. Do you need anything else from the supply store?"

"No." Melissa shook her head, reaching down to pick up her tin of paintbrushes and the tubes of paint she had been working with. "That's all."

"Okay. I'll be right back." Evan told her, dropping a kiss on her head. "No more fighting with the easel."

"Well considering it's broken and I'm not, I like to think I won." Melissa retorted, smiling at her father as he left.

Evan laughed as he walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs. Melissa sighed when she heard the front door slam shut. She walked to her bedside table and turned her music off before grabbing the tin of paintbrushes and heading down the stairs. She set the tin on the counter by the sink, plugged the drain and ran some cold water in the sink. She dumped the whole tin of paintbrushes into the water to soften the paint so she could clean her paintbrushes.

"...She's a little bit manic, completely organic, doesn't panic for the most part..." She hummed to herself as she used her fingers to squeeze the bristles and loosen up the paint. She was just getting into her chore when the doorbell rang. Looking up from her job, she sighed and grabbed a dishtowel to dry her hands. "I'm coming. Oh, hi Jackson."

"Hey Mel."

A smear of bright yellow paint on her temple and several lines of a rather garish shade of purple smudged on her cheek marked her rather failed attempt at painting, well to be perfectly honest, he's not quite sure what resulted in the purple, yellow and orange clad mess he sees before him. Her orange shirt was spattered with red - was that blood or paint? - and her jeans looked like she had been squirted with a tube of white paint. It was a sight to behold and quite an amusing one at that. Her black hair, at least it was black when he saw it last, it's decidedly more yellow now, was piled on top of her head. He's not quite sure what to think right now.

"Uh, Bella?" He motioned to her paint spattered clothes, paint smudged face and the clumps of yellow paint drying in her hair. "What happened?"

"My easel broke. The resulting fight with my still wet canvas ended with me on the floor, both easel and canvas top of me." Melissa sighed, tugging resentfully at a clump of yellow-painted hair in obvious disdain. "But my easel decided that today was a good day for the weak leg to finally give out, when I caught my ankle on it and I picked today of all days to stand up to paint because it was a large canvas so when it fell, the canvas went forward and I went backward - "

"Bella." Jackson cut her off with a sharp bark of amused laughter. "I got it. I got it."

"Stupid easel. My Dad went to the store." Melissa told him, opening the door to let him in. "He's hoping they make a carpet cleaner that brings up paint. He also went to get a new easel and a new canvas. The damn easel and the weak leg because it's just so stupid."

Jackson's amused laughter was only made worse when she glared at him. She was entirely too short for that glaring nonsense. She simply couldn't make herself look tough no matter how hard she tried. She looked so damn cute standing there, all paint spattered and obviously disgruntled at her, ahem, mishap. She made her way back into the kitchen to resume her job. He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she dipped her hands into the sink full of water and paintbrushes.

"Are you alright?" Jackson asked her, leaning against the counter. "You didn't hurt your ankle again did you?"

"No. Just my pride." Melissa shrugged, looking up at him. "My back wasn't too fond of hitting the floor but a hot shower will fix that."

He watched as she squeezed the bristles of the paintbrush in her hand, watching in slight disgust as watery clumps of black paint dropped into the sink, covering her hands with black tinged water. She continued squeezing until the water ran clear and the black paint was no longer present. She dropped the paintbrush in the tin and grabbed another. Orange and green tinged water covered her hands, mixing with the black.

"Where'd you get all of these paintbrushes?" Jackson asked her, leaning against the counter.

"Dad kept all of Mom's old art stuff. All he really bought was fresh paint and fresh canvases. Her easel and paintbrushes were still in the attic." Melissa shrugged, "He bought a ton of fresh paints, a couple of canvases so I could experiment and told me to go crazy. He's going to convert the attic into a paint studio for me some time."

"Nice. How come I never knew she painted? I was over here all the time." Jackson asked her softly.

"You did. You just didn't realize it." Melissa looked up at him. "That lighthouse painting that hung in the hallway forever. Mom painted that."

"She did?" Jackson raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What happened to it?"

"The night she cheated, Dad kicked her out and ripped the painting off of the wall." Melissa shrugged. "I don't know if he threw it away or tossed it in the fireplace to burn it but either way, it's destroyed. He didn't want reminders of her in the house. I didn't either so I helped. One of her paintings, I refinished."

"Refinished?"

"I took a tube of black paint and painted over the picture. Then once the black dried, I turned it into that blue, purple and pink paint blotted picture I have in my room." Melissa told him. "I let Dad burn or throw away the rest but that one...I had to do something else. I had to turn it into something good. I had to keep one memory and I wanted it to be good so I took her painting and made it my own."

She finished her job, drained the water, rinsed the sink and washed her hands before turning toward him with the tin of paintbrushes in hand. "All done."

"And there's your Dad." Jackson laughed as he listened to the car pull up in the driveway and a cardoor slam. "He called me, asked me to come over and stay with you just in case you did hurt yourself."

"Mmkay." Melissa nodded, smiling lazily up at him. "I love you but don't ever babysit me again."

"I'm not the one who tripped over her easel, goofy." Jackson teased, tugging on her shirt. "Okay I really have to go. Bye Sweetheart. Love you."

"Love you too." Melissa smiled tugging him down for a kiss. "Kiss, please? Thank you. Bye. Love you. Oh and I mean it about the babysitting. If you do, I'll cause you bodily harm."

"Of that I have no doubt."

Melissa smacked his shoulder as he walked out. He moved past her father, clapping him on the shoulder and relaying his girlfriend's previous message of bodily harm should he be asked to babysit her again. Evan just laughed as he made his way into the kitchen and looked over at his paint covered daughter, holding a tin full of freshly cleaned paintbrushes. He laughed as he held up the bag and the canvas.

"Figures you'd clean the paintbrushes before you'd clean yourself." Evan laughed, holding up the canvas and the bag. "Go shower, oh-great-clumsy-one, while I go get your new easel from my car and put it together."

"Shush, oh-dear-father." Melissa smiled as she set the tin down, kissed her father's cheek and dashed toward the stairs.

"Slow down. No need to fall again."

"Not my fault."

"Right."

Evan just rolled his eyes at his daughter's antics and went to retrieve the box containing her new easel from his car.

xxx

By the time he got to the jewelry store, he was a nervous wreck - complete with sweaty palms, racing heart and everything else that being nervous entailed. He had been debating with himself for over an hour as to whether or not his intentions could be misconstrued. Either way, people were bound to talk so finally the need to give her something had overridden the anxiety and the term 'screw it' had come to mind. So here he was, money in his wallet and a vague idea of what the piece of jewelry should look like. His previous conversation with Patrick had been encouraging but the subtle hints of how easily this was going to be misconstrued had not eased his anxiety. In the end, Jackson's need to fully commit to his best friend had won out and Patrick had given him the money, Belinda had given him her blessing and a sticky kiss on the cheek.

"Good afternoon, sir." A young woman in her twenties greeted him sweetly. Her white-blonde streaked dark hair curled down around her shoulders and her hazel eyes stared at him through purple square rimmed glasses. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"

"A promise ring for my girlfriend." Jackson's eyes scanned the display cases eagerly.

"Her taste?"

"Varies." Jackson chuckled softly, staring at the huge display of rings. "Things are very rarely simple with her."

The woman's sparkly blue nails tapped against the glass display case thoughtfully before she retrieved a key-ring from the pocket of her jacket and opened a display case. She pulled out a dark crimson velvet tray of rings and scanned them until she found what she was looking for. She held it out to him for his inspection. The ring was formed by two hearts interlocked in a make-shift infinity symbol. The actually band began at the top of one heart where the two arches formed a V and ended at the bottom of the second heart, just between the two points of each heart. A diamond rested in the center of each heart, held by the three prongs.

"It's certainly Melissa." Jackson laughed, looking at the price-tag before handing it back to the woman. "Can I customize the stones?"

"Absolutely." She nodded, handing the ring back to him to put the tray of rings away and retrieve and custom-order form. "Any particular stones you have in mind?"

"Birthstones." Jackson told her. "October and June."

"Opal and Alexandrite." The woman nodded, writing the information down on the form. "Engraving?"

"Yeah," Jackson rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "One word, really. Kind of sums up our entire relationship. 'Always'."

"Okay."

Once everything was filled out and the ring was paid for - he seriously owed Patrick one now - the woman filled out a receipt and handed it to him along with a slip of paper that let him know when he could pick the ring up. He put it in his wallet, thanked the woman and then walked out of the store, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket to make arrangements with Melissa.

"Hey Bella. Yeah. I have a question for you. No silly woman, you cannot paint your - why would even think that? Never mind. Anyway, up for a date? This Friday. Awesome. Pick you up at seven. Love you too. Yeah. And no painting your - oh great, never mind that then. Yeah. Bye."

* * *

><p><strong>I didn't feel like writing a whole conversation so I'll let you fill in the blanks on that last bit there. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the review about what exactly Melissa wanted to paint. Keep it appropriate but feel free to take creative liberties with it. So Jackson bought her the damn promise ring - FINALLY! Lord have Mercy, I thought I'd never get through with this update. Anywho, leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	42. A Promise Ring and The End

With the black velvet box tucked into the inside pocket of his gray blazer, Jackson tugged on the collar of his crisp white shirt and made sure his wallet was in his back pocket before grabbing his keys and phone making his way down the stairs. Tonight was the night he gave Melissa the promise ring he had been carrying around for the past three days. He had it all planned out. Of course, with it being him and Melissa, he wasn't sure it was going to go exactly according to plan - as things rarely ever did when they were involved - but he was going to try. He bid Patrick and Belinda goodbye and nervously drove to Melissa's house to pick her up.

When he pulled into the driveway, he was surprised to find her already coming out of the house and oh-dear-God did she look beautiful. Her naturally curly hair was pulled up with a few strands framing her face. The soft pink-champagne dress hugged her curves and shimmered iridescently in the moonlight. The layers of silk and tulle swished and swirled around her knees and the soft pink shoes complemented her outfit to perfection. A thin gold chain lay along her collarbone, ending in a soft gold heart pendant that fell just above the neckline of her dress. A shimmery gold silk wrap kept her bare shoulders protected from the harsh wind.

He stepped out of the car and met her at the bottom step, leaning down to kiss her. "You look beautiful, Bella."

"Thank you," Melissa smiled, brushing his cheek with her hand. She let her eyes graze over his gray blazer, dark jeans and crisp white shirt with black shoes and spiked chocolate hair. Her brown eyes darkened and she unconsciously licked her pale pink lips. "You look gorgeous yourself."

"Shall we?" Jackson offered her his arm and leaned over to kiss her head when she linked her arm with his and let him lead her to the passenger side of his car. He opened the door and waited while she maneuvered into the car before reaching down to affectionately brush her cheekbone - dusted with the faintest hint of a dark pink blush - with his thumb. Once she was safely inside, he closed the door and moved around to the other side. "I think you'll like the restaurant we're going to."

"You're not going to tell me?" Melissa turned in her seat so that she was partially facing him. Her brown eyes glinted with a child-like curiosity and a smile that spoke of not only her playfulness but also her affection lit up her face.

"Nope."

"You're mean." Melissa pretended to pout.

"Bella," Jackson pulled to a stop at the red-light. "Bella, sweetheart, don't pout because then I want to kiss you and I know I can't. Not at a red light."

Melissa just grinned as she leaned over the center console and kissed his cheek; lingering for a few seconds before pulling away and settling in her seat as if she hadn't just teased him. He just reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly as he drove to the restaurant. The comfortable silence lingered until Jackson pulled into the restaurant. He looked over at Melissa who audibly gasped and lit up when she saw the restaurant.

"Best Thai food this side of L.A. It's formal enough to not feel over-dressed but not so formal it's stuffy and irritating." Jackson grinned, shoving the car into park and turning the key before pulling them out and shoving them in his pocket. He got out and made his way to the passenger side, opening the door and offering his hand to her; "Shall we?"

Melissa smiled as she got out and took his head. He closed the door behind her and led her into the restaurant. A quick chat with the maitre'd led to relatively quick seating at a small table near the corner of the restaurant.

"I'm Leah, I'll be waitress for this evening, can I start you off with something to drink?"

xxx

The food was amazing - mild enough Melissa but spicy enough to accomodate Jackson's taste - and having each other to talk to made it a comfortable date. Neither of them felt over-dressed or under-dressed for the occasion nor did it ever seem like the conversation grew boring. The witty banter, laughter and bickering over what the other ordered being better than their own plates made for a fun dinner as did sharing each other's meals made for a fun date and Jackson's nerves slowly settled as the evening progressed.

"Actually," Jackson took a sip of his diet coke before reaching into his pocket; "There's a reason for this date, Bella."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Jackson chuckled nervously. "Now I don't want my intentions with this to be misconstrued although considering the school we go to, they will be anyway."

"Jackson," Melissa giggled in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Jackson pulled out the little velvet box that had felt like it was going to burn a hole in his pocket and opened it so that Melissa could see what was inside. He chuckled softly when she gasped and tears filled her eyes; "It's a promise ring."

"A promise ring..Jackson?" Melissa shook her head, looking at him in confusion.

He stood up and walked around the table to kneel before her. He pulled the ring out of the box and took her left hand, sliding the ring onto her finger. "Bella, you've been in my life for seventeen years. You're the only constant I have in my life. The person I've depended on, confided in and sometimes we fought and cried together but we loved each other. I want you to wear this ring and remember this promise. One day, Bella, when we're both ready, I'll ask you to marry me. And I hope you'll say yes when that time comes."

"I will." Melissa smiled down at him. "That's my promise."

"Good." Jackson smiled, kissing her hand before raising up slightly to kiss her. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Jackson." Melissa smiled, looking down at the ring. "Are those our birthstones?"

"Yeah." Jackson nodded, reaching for her hand. "The purple-ish green one is Alexandrite, which is my birthstone and the white is Opal, which is your birthstone."

"Well it's beautiful. I love it." Melissa smiled.

"Good." Jackson stood up and pulled out his wallet. "Shall we go, then Bella?"

"We shall." Melissa wiped her eyes and stood up, gathering her small clutch and wrap before turning to Jackson. "I had a great time tonight!"

"Me too." Jackson leaned down to kiss her quickly before placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her to the counter to pay.

Once the check was taken care of, Jackson led Melissa to the car. Before she could even think about getting in, he had her pinned to the car and was sucking on her collarbone. She unconsciously rolled her hips, grinding against him as he sucked, licked and bit at her collarbone. Her fingers sunk into his hair as he trailed kisses up to just behind her ear, along her jaw and finally sucking her lower lip into his mouth. She groaned and rolled her hips again. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer as she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss.

By the time they pulled away, they were both sufficiently oxygen deprived but grinning like love-sick idiots. Jackson kissed her one more time before pulling her away from the car so he could open the door. He leaned down to whisper in her ear; "We should go home."

Melissa grinned and nipped at his jaw playfully before getting into the car and buckling her seatbelt. Jackson rushed around to the other side, eager to get his girlfriend home in order to kiss her senseless before he had to be back home for the night. As he drove them home, Melissa's eyes never left the ring on her hand, watching as it sparkled in the thin film of moonlight streaming through the window. He smiled and reached over to link their hands together.

Yes.

This was one promise, he would most definitely be keeping.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi Loves. So it's been, what? Almost 100,000 words, 120+ reviews, 13 Favs and 16 Follows, since I started this story? The world I've weaved around my beloved Jackson and Melissa is amazing and this particular story will always have a special place in my heart, which is why I have to announce this. It's over. This story has run it's course. I appreciate all of my beloved readers for coming back to this story time and time again but I feel as if it is over. It's time to bring it to an end. I'm going to polish it up over time, fix inconsistencies, grammatical errors and just general fine-tuning that it needs but as for updates, this is it. This is the last chapter. And this is my last story in this fandom for a while. It's not permanent but I'm bowing out for a while. With that, I say for the final time with this story, leave me some love, Dolls.<strong>

**All my Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	43. Alt Chapter 29: Dancing Lessons

_Two weeks before prom..._

"...Watch my freakin' foot!" Melissa grumbled for the thousandth time since they had started their dancing lesson two hours ago. He had stepped on both of her feet at least three times in the past fifteen minutes which wasn't helping any - not to mention the fact that she was really starting to question her song choice.

Jackson growled as he moved back a couple of steps; "Well don't put it _there_!"

"There's where it supposed to be." Melissa emphasized her statement with a kick to his shin with the foot he had just stepped on. "It's a _waltz, _you idiot! You're moving, dancing. Not standing still and looking pretty."

"Ow!" Jackson howled bending down to rub his shin, looking up at her. "I am a guy, therefore I am not pretty!"

"I never said you were," Melissa smiled pseudo-sweetly, "I was just giving an example."

"Ooh!" Jackson gasped melodramatically. "You wound me."

"Baby." Melissa shook her head playfully. "At the rate we're going, I'm going to have shrink-wrap my feet just to get them in my shoes."

"Remind me again why I agreed to this?" Jackson asked her in mock exasperation.

"Because you asked me to the prom only to remember after you bought the ticket that you can't dance. Which truly shocks me considering your mother loved to dance and your father was Italian." Melissa provided with a not so innocent smile.

"That's because Mom had formal ballet training and as for my Dad, he swore he had two left feet." Jackson told her.

"What's your excuse?" Melissa quipped, putting her hands on her hips.

"My excuse is that I have no excuse, I just can't dance." Jackson grinned at her. "Which is why we're doing this."

"What? Dancing? We're not dancing. No, I'm dancing. You're just standing there like an idiot." Melissa snipped at him, flexing her foot to get the blood flowing back to her swollen toes. "Yet somehow my toes are still swollen."

"It's not my fault you put your foot where I was trying to put mine." Jackson growled at her.

"My toes are swollen because of you!" Melissa cried foul, holding her foot up for him to see. "At this rate, I'll need shrink wrap just get them in my shoes!"

"Argh!" Jackson growled in frustration. "This isn't going well."

"No kidding!" Melissa snapped angrily.

"Maybe it's because you're forgetting about each other and focusing on what moves you have to do." Patrick spoke up from the doorway. When they looked over at him curiously, he laughed and pushed off the doorway with his shoulder, moving around the couch to help them. "Look, being precise is great but it's the connection between the two partners that makes any dance worth watching. It's looking at the partners and knowing that they don't need words to communicate or know what to do next. The connection is what makes the dance beautiful in any case. You two have that but the moves is where you mess up."

"So what do we do?" Jackson asked him.

"First of all, you need a song you recognize." Patrick told them, "Any slow songs come to mind?"

"You and Me by Lifehouse," Jackson told him.

"Good choice." Patrick grinned as he made his way over to the stereo and flipped through until he found the CD that Jackson had bought a couple of weeks ago. Once the song was playing, he turned back to the couple. "Now, Jackson, those shoes are gonna kill her feet before this is over, I suggest you take them off. Learning barefoot gives you a little freedom to mess up without injuring your partner."

Jackson nodded and kicked off his converse sneakers before resuming his position facing Melissa. "Okay."

"Okay," Patrick turned to Melissa. "Melissa, you know the dance but you have to remember that Jackson doesn't. Dance through the mistakes, we'll correct them when the dance is over. Now show me what you've got."

He restarted the song and counted out the beats for them to start. They moved around the hardwood floor of the living room with ease but it was easy to tell that they weren't maintaining a strong connection with each other. He stopped the song in the middle of the dance and motioned for them to stop.

"Okay," Patrick shook his head, "You two aren't keeping your connection and Jackson, you're slightly off-beat."

"Can you help?"

"Yep, I'll have you two looking like pros before prom."

xxx

_A Week and A Half Before Prom_

"One, two, three...Jackson, keep the beat, buddy." Patrick called with a laugh, "I know your girlfriend is pretty but her chest is not where your eyes should be."

Melissa snickered with held back laughter as she let her boyfriend lead her around the hardwood floor of his living room. Jackson ducked his head and blushed but caught up to the beat and continued around the room in a slow, easy waltz. They had been dancing for a little over and hour and so far, Patrick had taught them more than Melissa had managed in the two hours they had been doing it alone. Patrick's easy quips and relaxed teaching methods had eased the tension between them and the dance was becoming a little more natural.

"Don't laugh too much, Mel. If you don't quit staring at his stomach every ten seconds, you're going to hit the floor." Patrick reprimanded her playfully. "Keep eye contact and Jackson, dude, stop staring at her chest. You're a guy, I get that, but if you don't stop staring at her chest, she's going to make you question your masculinity and I'm going to let her do it."

"Stop staring at my stomach, Bella." Jackson reprimanded his girlfriend with a teasing grin. "You're going to get yourself in trouble."

"And you are one more glance away from seriously questioning your manhood and I mean it." Melissa grinned sweetly. "Now I ask, do you really want to go there?"

"Tell you what, you stare at my stomach, I'll stare at your head and my manhood will remain firmly in tact. Deal?" Jackson asked her, visibly tensing at the thought of the damage his girlfriend could do to his manhood.

"Fine but if you stare at my chest again, I'll make it so you never reproduce." Melissa told him with a psedo-innocent smile. "Because remember, baby, castration is always a viable option."

"Sweetheart," Jackson drawled, lifting her hand to spin her around. "Castration would kill me."

"Even better."

"So how's it going?" Belinda asked, wrapping her arms around her husband's stomach. "Or should I ask?"

"He's stared at her chest for three songs and she's threatened to castrate him twice, how do _you _think it's going?" Patrick laughed, burying his face into the top of his wife's head. "They've got the bickering thing down to a science."

"They make a great couple." was all Belinda chose to say and she did so with an incredibly convincing and sweet smile at her husband.

"You are a hopeless romantic." Patrick teased his wife, kissing the top of her head. "Does he always call her Bella?"

"Yep," Belinda nodded, watching the dancing couple. "Her father told me that it was something he started when they were fourteen. Bella is Italian for beautiful."

"That would explain the colorful Italian he mumbles everytime he messes up." Patrick laughed.

"Well good luck," Belinda patted his chest as she turned and walked out of the room.

"Minx!" Patrick called after her. He turned back to Jackson and Melissa.

_"...'Cause it's you and me and all of the people, with nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all of the people and I don't why, I can't keep my eyes off of you..." _Jackson's voice melded with the radio as they continued the dance, easily moving around the room.

Patrick's intended comment died on his tongue as he watched the couple dance around the room in what could only be described as the most graceful they'd been since he had started teaching them how to dance. Their eyes never left each other and the dance was obviously becoming something personal and intimate for them. He watched, mouth agape and eyes fixated on them, until they finished the dance and turned to him.

"I think..." Patrick's eyes were unnaturally wide. "I think you guys are ready for prom, providing you can make it to prom without killing each other."


End file.
